Incident Overview

Description
A Cessna 208B Grand Caravan, registered ZS-PCM, sustained substantial damage when it crashed on takeoff from a rural airstrip. One passenger was seriously injured. The pilot, accompanied by five passengers, departed from Wonderboom Airport (PRY) to Nyala Lodge in the Limpopo Province on a chartered flight. Prior to the takeoff from Wonderboom, the pilot was given the coordinates for the runway at Njala Lodge. However these coordinates (24ø 28′ S 027ø E) were insufficient for the purpose and resulted in him landing on an incorrect airstrip. Shortly afterwards realized that he had landed on the wrong runway. He turned around at the end of the runway and attempted to take off again, but the aircraft failed to gain height. The pilot then aborted the takeoff but the aircraft collided with a telephone pole and a wire fence. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the left-hand main landing gear, propeller, nose landing and both wings as a result of the collision and the ensuing fire. PROBABLE CAUSES: The pilot failed to carry out a proper assessment of the wind conditions. The aircraft failed to gain height as a result of a possible down draft and collided with obstacles on the ground after landing. The pilot failed to maintain directional control after take-off, resulting in a landing on the left side of the runway after aborting the take-off.
Primary Cause
Inadequate wind conditions assessment and potential downdraft leading to a landing on the incorrect runway.Inadequate wind conditions assessment and potential downdraft leading to a landing on the incorrect runway.Share on: