What happened
On the morning of 15 January 2023, a flight instructor and a student pilot were conducting a multi-engine conversion training flight from Grand Central Aerodrome in Gauteng. The flight, operating under visual flight rules, began with several touch-and-go landings. After approximately 33 minutes of training, the crew requested a route change to the Johannesburg General Flying Area.
While flying at a low altitude, witnesses observed the Piper PA-3/0-160 performing an unusual maneuver. One observer reported seeing the aircraft fly straight up as if performing aerobatics, before it suddenly stalled. Another witness noted the sound of an engine running roughly before the aircraft descended in a steep, nose-down spiral. The aircraft ultimately impacted a dump site at Crown Mines near the National Recreation Centre. The impact destroyed the ZS-EAW and resulted in two fatalities.