What happened
On the morning of 19 September 2018, an Ikarus C42B micro-light aircraft, registration ZU-EVW, was conducting agricultural survey operations near the Free State province. After completing an initial flight and refueling at Bethlehem Aerodrome, the pilot and a passenger prepared for a second survey mission.
The pilot commenced the takeoff roll from an intersection on Runway 11, approximately 82 meters from the runway threshold. Surveillance footage and eyewitness accounts indicate that the aircraft rotated approximately 262 meters into the takeoff roll. Shortly after becoming airborne, the aircraft experienced a leftward yaw and disappeared behind a structure. The aircraft then impacted the ground in a steep, nose-down attitude in a grass field between the aerodrome's runways.
A post-impact fire, fueled by the aircraft's 70 litres of fuel, erupted shortly after the crash. While the two occupants initially survived the impact, they sustained serious burn wounds and a leg fracture. Despite being airlifted by emergency helicopters to a specialized burn unit in Johannesburg, both the pilot and the passenger passed away within 24 hours.