ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 137959
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| Date: | Sunday 14 August 2011 |
| Time: | c. 10:30 LT |
| Type: |  Piaggio P-166S Albatross |
| Owner/operator: | NJX Partnership |
| Registration: | ZS-NJX |
| MSN: | 446 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1969 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 6 / Occupants: 6 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Mamotswiri Peak region, ±32km s/w of Tzaneen, Limpopo -
 South Africa
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Passenger - Non-Scheduled/charter/Air Taxi |
| Departure airport: | Tzaneen-Letaba Airport (LTA/FATZ) |
| Rand Airport - FAGM | |
| Investigating agency: | CAA S.A. |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
Two ex SAAF Piaggio P-166S Albatross aircraft took off from Tzaneen airport after having participated in a display at the Tzaneen Air Show the day before. The 1½ hour flight to Rand Airport, Germiston was to be conducted under VFR (Visual Flight Rules). Shortly after take-off they formed up in loose formation and headed south west towards Johannesburg. The weather was cloudy over the mountains to the south west of Tzaneen, but clear beyond. It is presumed that at some point the two aircraft entered IMC (Instrument Meteorological Conditions) and lost visual contact with the surrounding terrain. Some 2½ hours later it was ascertained that the aircraft were overdue in Germiston and contact could not be established with any persons aboard either aircraft. At 13:30 a full scale search and rescue operation swung into action involving SASAR (South African Search and Rescue), ARCC (Air Rescue Co-ordination Centre), the SAP (South African Police), the Mountain Club and various volunteers. Inclement weather hampered the search, which continued through to the morning of Tuesday, August 16 when the wreckage of the two aircraft was spotted by a police helicopter at around 08:15 lying against the slopes of the Mamotswiri Peak region about 35m from the top and about 100m apart. Both aircraft had sustained a post impact fire.
Probable Cause
- Controlled flight into terrain.
Contributory factor/s
- Lack of proper flight planning.
- Low clouds.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
1. Fly Africa Forum: Albatross Aircraft Missing
2. Weg ná skou
3. Two planes missing after Tzaneen airshow
4. Desperate efforts to find missing planes
5. Search for missing planes resumes
6. Weather hampers missing planes' search effort
7. Search for missing planes suspended
8. Internet abuzz over missing planes
9. Wreckage of missing planes found
10. 'Planes might have flown into mountain'
11. Planes' wreckage: No word on survivors
12. All 13 people dead in crashed planes
13. Names of some on crashed planes released
14. All 13 people killed in Tzaneen plane crash
15. Photo of ZS-NJX
16. CAA starts probe into plane crash tragedy
17. South African Civil Aviation Authority Statement
18. ‘They flew directly into the cliff’
19. Bodies of plane victims to be flown to be PTA
20. CAA gathers evidence at crash site
21. Zuma praises Tzaneen search teams
22. Gran grieves for young crash victims
23. Faces of aircraft tragedy
24. The scene where it all ended
25. Plane victims' families 'shattered'
26. News24.com Photo Gallery
27. Beeld Photo Gallery Showing Crash Site
Images:
En Route Tzaneen, August 12, 2011
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 15-Aug-2011 01:03 | Alpine Flight | Added |
| 15-Aug-2011 02:57 | Topaz | Updated [Registration, Cn, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 15-Aug-2011 03:07 | Topaz | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Source] |
| 15-Aug-2011 03:12 | Topaz | Updated [Aircraft type, Source] |
| 15-Aug-2011 03:16 | Topaz | Updated [Total occupants, Source] |
| 15-Aug-2011 04:16 | Topaz | Updated [Location, Source, Narrative] |
| 15-Aug-2011 04:54 | Topaz | Updated [Location, Source, Narrative] |
| 15-Aug-2011 05:22 | Topaz | Updated [Source] |
| 16-Aug-2011 00:32 | RobertMB | Updated [Departure airport, Destination airport, Source] |
| 16-Aug-2011 01:39 | RobertMB | Updated [Location, Source, Damage, Narrative] |
| 16-Aug-2011 01:40 | RobertMB | Updated [Source] |
| 16-Aug-2011 01:41 | RobertMB | Updated [Other fatalities, Source, Narrative] |
| 16-Aug-2011 05:49 | Topaz | Updated [Time, Location, Source, Narrative] |
| 16-Aug-2011 06:34 | Topaz | Updated [Location, Source, Narrative] |
| 16-Aug-2011 07:37 | Topaz | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 17-Aug-2011 01:13 | Topaz | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 17-Aug-2011 04:22 | Topaz | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 17-Aug-2011 04:48 | Topaz | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 17-Aug-2011 09:30 | Topaz | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 17-Aug-2011 10:06 | Topaz | Updated [Source] |
| 17-Aug-2011 12:20 | Topaz | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 17-Aug-2011 12:20 | Topaz | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 18-Aug-2011 02:17 | Topaz | Updated [Source] |
| 10-Nov-2023 13:47 | harro | Updated [Accident report] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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