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| Date: | Wednesday 21 June 2023 |
| Time: | 16:36 |
| Type: |  Air Tractor AT-802F Fire Boss |
| Owner/operator: | Kishugu Aviation |
| Registration: | ZS-TFH |
| MSN: | 802A-0214 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1990 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 1930 hours |
| Engine model: | Pratt & Whitney PT6A-67F |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | near Ngodwana, Mpumalanga -
 South Africa
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Fire fighting |
| Departure airport: | Elandshoogte Airfield |
| Elandshoogte Airfield | |
| Investigating agency: | CAA S.A. |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
An Air Tractor AT-802F was returning from a fire fighting operation and crashed near Ngodwana, Mpumalanga.
The pilot died in the crash.
The ZS-TFH pilot took off from FANS with 3000 litres (l) of water; he released the first load on the left side of the fire and, thereafter, flew to Elandshoogte Airfield Runway 27 to refill the hopper with more water. The aircraft took off again and routed to the scene of the fire. After the pilot released the second load of water on the right side of the fire and whilst maintaining track to fly out, the aircraft impacted the rising terrain and crashed. A video footage was recorded by the spotter aircraft in the vicinity; it showed the aircraft drop its second water load and, thereafter, impacted the rising terrain. The aircraft burst into flames and catapulted forward for approximately 250 metres before it came to rest in an inverted orientation and facing north.
Probable Cause/s and/or Contributory Factors
The pilot misjudged the climb height required to clear the terrain. This resulted in the left main gear and the hopper impacting the rising terrain.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
https://lowvelder.co.za/827491/south-african-civil-aviation-authority-investigates-fatal-aircraft-accident-near-ngodwana/
https://lowvelder.co.za/827411/working-on-fire-pilot-killed-in-aircraft-accident-near-mbombela/?fbclid=IwAR2OU06fGp8qyvpIuYf-LbUIUu7OtiEyAOPMVfhED66qIbfpbY6AzfhXsR4_aem_th_AfIsHCNrS-x3h1frs8dPR60q1DB_Mpck0mCoVFg0XBFZ09G6XWHVevi8tm1XVHNB9jQ
.
https://cdn.jetphotos.com/full/6/91613_1496388326.jpg (photo)
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 22-Jun-2023 08:25 | gerard57 | Added |
| 22-Jun-2023 08:40 | RobertMB | Updated |
| 22-Jul-2023 00:39 | Ron Averes | Updated |
| 25-Jul-2023 07:47 | harro | Updated |
| 23-Jun-2024 16:13 | ASN | Updated [Narrative, Accident report] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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