A preliminary report on last week’s crash near the Wonderboom Airport – in which two people lost their lives – will be issued within 30 days of the incident, according to the South African Civil Aviation Authority’s (SACAA) Kabelo Ledwaba.
“The completion of an investigation will be marked by the release of a final accident report, which will also contain safety recommendations aimed at improving the levels of aviation safety and prevention of a similar accident,” he said.
Ledwaba could not say how long it would take for the full investigation to be concluded but pointed out that if it took longer than 12 months, the investigation team would then issue an interim statement to indicate the progress made at that particular point in time.
He confirmed to FTW that the aircraft had a Certificate of Airworthiness, which had been due to expire on 15 August 2018. He said the owner of the aircraft was Rovos Rail Tours but could not comment on speculation that it had previously been part of a freighter fleet owned by a Dutch company. “Details still remain unclear at this stage,” Ledwaba said.
The International Civil Aviation Organisation (Icao) 2017 audit of the country’s competence in relation to aviation safety oversight systems stated that South Africa’s performance and improved safety measures had seen it rated as the number one safest country in Africa when it came to aviation.
It is also rated as the 33rd safest globally. Earlier this year, the SACAA received some flak from the aviation industry for what it termed the authority’s “overzealous” regard for airworthiness after the self-imposed withdrawal from service of certain South African Airways (SAA) cargo aircraft for non-compliance around the Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) upgrades.
“By ensuring maximum compliance with civil aviation regulations, SACAA has assisted South Africa to uphold unquestionable levels of aviation safety and security,” said Ledwaba.
Until the Wonderboom incident, South Africa’s commercial aviation industry had a zero percent fatality rating.
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The scene of last week’s Wonderboom crash.
