OTD: 23 January 2020

A 33 year old Cessna Citation aircraft (ZS-CAR), operated by the SA Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA), took off from George Airport at about 10:40am. The aircraft had three crew members on board. The Cessna was used by SACAA for calibration of airport system in South Africa as well as in some neighbouring countries.

Part of a statement released by SACAA read: “The crew, two males and one female, took off at 10.40 (local time) from the George airport on a flight calibration mission of navigational aids of the same airport.”

Investigations into the accident revealed that the aircraft was not maintained in accordance with the requirements of annual inspections. The certificate of airworthiness was thus rendered invalid. Three incidents occurred prior to the crash.

• An oil smell and smoke were detected in the cockpit. A faulty oil seal was diagnosed and replaced.
• The crew aborted a take-off due to smoke build-up in the cockpit.
• One of the aircraft’s engines was replaced, a procedure that requires a full inspection by the SACAA’s flight inspection unit. However, the inspection did not take place.