What happened
On the morning of 15 October 2025, a Sling 2 aircraft, registration ZU-PBD, departed from Secunda Aerodrome in Mpumalanga, bound for Margate Aerodrome in KwaZulu-Natal. Shortly before this departure, another aircraft from the same operator, ZU-PBC, had also left Secunda for the same destination. While the initial flight was conducted under visual meteorological conditions, a MAYDAY call heard by a scheduled airline pilot on the Johannesburg Area East frequency triggered an emergency response.
Following the distress call, both aircraft were reported missing in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands. While the second aircraft, ZU-PBC, was located later that same day, the search for ZU-PBD was temporarily halted overnight due to deteriorating weather and fading light. On the morning of 16 October 2025, search teams discovered the wreckage of ZU-PBD approximately 6.2 nautical miles from Boston. The impact was high-energy, and the pilot was fatally injured.
The investigation
SACAA AIID investigators examined the wreckage and the circumstances surrounding the flight. The investigation established that the aircraft was airworthy and had a valid authority to fly at the time of dispatch. The pilot held a valid Private Pilot Licence and was in the process of training for an instrument flight rating.
Physical examination of the wreckage revealed that the aircraft was destroyed upon impact with the rocky terrain. The investigation noted that the canopy had separated from the airframe and the engine sustained significant damage, including detached cylinders and mounting brackets. The impact was determined to be non-survivable.
Findings
- The aircraft was operating under the provisions of Part 94 (Private) operations.
- The pilot was in the midst of instrument flight training, with limited experience in instrument flying.
- The accident occurred in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), characterized by low clouds and fog covering the high ground in the Pietermaritzburg area.
- The pilot contravened VFR regulations by flying in conditions that did not allow for visual reference to the surface or required clearance from cloud formations.