History of Flight
On Saturday, 21 October 2023, at 0715Z, a pilot and a safety pilot departed Bram Fischer International Airport (FABL) in the Free State province aboard a Beechcraft Sundowner C23, registration ZS-JKE. The flight was a navigation cross-country trip with planned stops at Brandfort Airfield, Ermelo Airfield, and final destination Wonderboom Airport in Gauteng province. The aircraft took off from Runway 02.
During the initial climb, at approximately 350 feet above ground level, the engine revolutions per minute (RPM) decreased, causing the engine to run rough. The safety pilot assumed control from the pilot to execute a forced landing on an open field. However, the aircraft lost height rapidly and crashed before bursting into flames.
Earlier, the crew had aborted the first take-off attempt due to engine power degradation. They taxied back to the apron, contacted a technician, and were advised to check the magnetos. After that, they coordinated with air traffic control (ATC) and subsequently performed a successful pre-take-off run-up with all parameters in the green arch before the second take-off.
Injuries
The pilot sustained fatal injuries, and the safety pilot received serious injuries.
Aircraft Damage
The aircraft was destroyed by the post-impact fire.
Other Details
The accident occurred approximately 1 kilometre east of the Runway 20 threshold at FABL at 0722Z. The flight was conducted under visual flight rules in visual meteorological conditions.