History of Flight
On 4 February 2021, two Air Tractor AT-502B aircraft, registered ZS-XAT and ZS-XAS, departed Lanseria International Airport (FALA) in Gauteng province, South Africa, on a ferry flight to Hosea Kutako International Airport (FYWH) in Namibia. The flight was conducted under visual flight rules (VFR) by day and under the provisions of Part 91.
The pilot of ZS-XAS flew north of Rustenburg and turned in a south-westerly direction due to deteriorating weather. Attempts to contact the pilot of ZS-XAT were unsuccessful. The ZS-XAS pilot contacted Johannesburg Information for a weather update and was advised that conditions were becoming unfavourable; he then decided to return to FALA.
The last known position of ZS-XAT was abeam Morningside Airfield (FAMS), according to the operator's tracking device. An eyewitness reported seeing the aircraft emerging from clouds in a descending path; seconds later it disappeared from sight, followed by a loud bang and smoke from the direction where it was last seen. Other eyewitnesses located the wreckage and alerted local firefighters that an aircraft was on fire. The pilot was found trapped in the wreckage and had succumbed to his injuries on impact.
Injuries and Damage
The pilot sustained fatal injuries during the accident sequence. The aircraft was destroyed due to impact and a post-impact fire.
Probable Cause and Contributing Factors
Probable cause: The pilot entered an area of little to no visibility, became spatially disorientated, and lost control of the aircraft. The aircraft descended in a left spiral with a high degree of disintegration before impacting the ground.
Contributing factor: Inadequate flight planning. Improper VFR into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC).