ACCIDENT REPORT: JIM DAVIS
B ONA NZ A VFR I NT O I MC
AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT REPORT
AC CI DENT R EP OR T : Time of Accident: ±1517Z Date of Accident: 13/09/2012 Aircraft Registration: ZS-TVR Type of Operation: Private flight Type of Aircraft: Beech F33A Pilot-in-command License Type: Private Pilot Age: 64 License Valid: No Pilot-in-command Flying Experience:
• This report is to promote aviation safety and not to establish legal liability. • The CAA’s report contains padding, repetition, poor English and incompetence. So, in the interest of clarity and readability, I have had to correct and paraphrase extensively
Briefly The pilot and two passengers, took off from Newcastle on Thursday morning, 13 September 2012 on a private flight and landed at Pietermaritzburg at 0523Z. The aircraft was parked and the occupants attended a conference in the city. That afternoon they returned for their intended flight home. At
60
June 2021
Total Flying Hours: 1 047,4 Hours on Type : 984,9 Last point of departure: Pietermaritzburg Next point of intended landing: Newcastle Location of the accident site: Ophatha, near Cato Ridge (GPS position; 29° 38.679’ South 030° 42.236’ East, elevation 1 574 feet) Mete.: Surface wind 130°/10 kts; Temp 15°C, Dew point 12°C, Overcast Number of people on board: 1+2 No. of people injured: 0 No. of people killed: 1+2 1507Z ATC cleared them for takeoff on runway 16 under special VFR. Approximately ten minutes after takeoff a witness heard an aircraft flying above the clouds, and seconds later he saw it descending through the clouds and spiraling down. It remained in a spiral until it impacted in dense bush and mountainous terrain. Following impact it was consumed by fire. All three occupants were fatally injured.
