What happened
On the afternoon of 19 February 2026, a Sling 2 aircraft, registered ZU-LOW, crashed in a bushy area near the Sifasonke residential region in Klipgat, North West province. The flight, operated by Excellentia Airline Academy, was a training mission originating from Grand Central Airport in Gauteng. The crew consisted of a pilot monitoring, who held a Grade II Flight Instructor rating, and a pilot flying who was undergoing training.
During the flight, the crew was performing stall exercises within the general flying area. At approximately 1600Z, the aircraft's emergency locator transmitter (ELT) triggered a satellite distress alert, prompting an immediate search and rescue response from the Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre (ARCC). Emergency teams, including the South African Police Services and medical services, located the wreckage in the bush terrain. The impact was so severe that both pilots were killed, and the aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The investigation
Investigators from the SACAA AIID examined the wreckage and the flight circumstances. The investigation established that the aircraft struck the ground in a near-vertical attitude, causing the landing gear to break off and the fuel tanks to rupture. Notably, the engine was still delivering power at the moment of impact, as evidenced by the condition of the propeller blades.
Technical inspections of the cockpit revealed that the flight controls remained operational and the fuel selector was set to the left tank. The aircraft, a relatively new model with only 18.4 hours of total airframe time, had a valid authority to fly. The investigation also noted that the aircraft was not equipped with flight data or cockpit voice recorders, as they were not required for this aircraft type.