Cessna C172L Crash at Vorna Valley During Training Flight (ZS-PZT)

Accident Overview and Flight History On 8 October 2018, a Cessna C172L with registration ZS-PZT departed Grand Central Aerodrome (FAGC) at 0833Z for a solo training flight under Part 141 of the South African Civil Aviation Regulations. The pilot, a student with 37.7 total flying hours, intended to practice touch-and-go landings on Runway 35. The flight took place during the day in visual meteorological conditions. ## Sequence of Events Following the pilot's fifth touch-and-go, the aircraft was on the upwind leg when another Cessna 172, registration ZS-SCB, entered the left-hand circuit. Air traffic control (ATC) instructed the pilot of ZS-PZT to enter the downwind leg behind ZS-SCB. At 0916Z, once established on the downwind, the pilot was requested to perform one orbit to the right to re-establish on the downwind and maintain appropriate separation. ## Crash and Impact During the right-hand orbit, eyewitnesses reported the aircraft entered a steep right turn and subsequently a spiral dive. The pilot recovered but, while attempting to avoid trees, the aircraft stalled and entered an unrecoverable spiral dive. At 0917Z, an inaudible transmission was heard on the FAGC tower frequency, after which ATC could not establish radio contact. The aircraft crashed into the backyard of a residential property in Vorna Valley at GPS coordinates S26°00’02” E028°06’25”, coming to rest inverted with the fuselage broken in half after striking a tree. ## Casualties and Damage The pilot sustained fatal injuries, as did a Malawian citizen working on the property. The aircraft was destroyed on impact. Ground damage included a section of a neighboring roof, a perimeter wall, a shed, and vegetation. The investigation was led by the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA), with the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) appointing a non-travelling accredited representative.