What happened
On the morning of 15 February 2023, a Skyleader 600, registered ZU-TAM, departed Eagle’s Creek Airfield in Gauteng for a flight to Brakpan Airfield. The purpose of the trip was to deliver the aircraft for its scheduled annual inspection.
Following a standard pre-flight inspection, the pilot taxied to the holding point of Runway 08. An eyewitness observed the aircraft take off and begin a normal climb. Shortly after becoming airborne, the aircraft executed a right turn toward the south, followed quickly by a left turn that appeared to be an attempt to return to the airfield. During this left-hand maneuver, the aircraft failed to maintain altitude and banked sharply. The aircraft crossed the extended centerline and struck the ground, immediately erupting into a post-impact fire. The pilot was 1 fatal casualty, and the aircraft was destroyed.
The investigation
Investigators from the SACAA AIID examined the wreckage and interviewed witnesses at the scene. The investigation established that the aircraft was operating under visual flight rules (VFR) as a private flight.
Physical evidence at the crash site, located near a flooded riverbank, showed the aircraft had impacted the ground in an inverted position. The investigation noted that the aircraft's landing gear was in the down and locked position at the time of impact. While the aircraft was not equipped with flight recorders, the vertical speed indicator stopped at 1800 feet per minute, and the airspeed indicator recorded 66 knots. The wreckage was recovered from the rugged, waterlogged terrain to a hangar for further analysis. The investigation also noted that the pilot's medical certificate and the aircraft's authority to fly were both valid at the time of the accident.