What happened
On the afternoon of 21 April 2024, a Cessna 172 RG, registration ZS-KNE, was involved in a fatal accident near Witbank Airfield in Mpumalanga. The flight began as a routine trip from Nelspruit Airfield, where the pilot and two passengers were initially on board. After a successful landing at Witbank, the passenger load changed as one person disembarked and two new passengers boarded for a local flight.
During the subsequent takeoff from Runway 22, witnesses observed the aircraft struggling to gain speed. The aircraft rotated late on the runway, and as the pilot retracted the landing gear during the climb, the plane experienced a sudden loss of control. The aircraft yawed sharply, the wings dropped, and the plane entered a nose-down attitude. It impacted the ground at Blesbok Coal Mine, approximately 582 metres from the runway threshold, and was consumed by a post-impact fire.
The investigation
The South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) AIID launched an investigation into the wreckage, which was found in an inverted position. Investigators noted that the aircraft's fuselage was destroyed by fire, though the tail section remained largely intact. Physical evidence at the scene showed the landing gear had been retracted at the time of impact.
Technical examinations of the engine and propeller revealed that one propeller blade had dislodged from the hub, and the blades showed significant deformation. The investigation also reviewed the aircraft's maintenance history, noting that a 100-hour periodic inspection had been completed in early March 2024 by an approved maintenance organisation.