Aircraft Registration ZS-UZZ
Date of Accident 22 August 2015
Time of Accident 0758Z
Type of Aircraft Pitts Special S-1S
Type of Operation Private
PIC Licence Type Private Pilot
Age 46
Licence Valid Yes
PIC Total Flying Hours 309.1
PIC Hours on Type 11.4
Last point of departure Brits (FABS)
Destination Rustenburg (FARG)
Location of the accident S 25°31’20” E 27°46’33”
Elevation 3700‘
Met 150°/05KT, Viz 10k, Temp 23°C, DP 9°, CAVOK
Number of people on board 1
No. of people injured 0
No. of people killed 1
History of Flight
The pilot took off from runway 20 at Brits at about 0750Z on a private flight to Rustenburg.
After takeoff the aircraft drifted 40° to the left. The pilot did a left-hand circuit followed by a knife-edge along the runway.
He then did a 180 and a 50’ flight along 02 and pulled the nose up at the end of the runway. At about 250’ he rolled inverted. The aircraft pitched nose-down and impacted the terrain in the back yard of a residential area.
The pilot did not hold an aerobatic rating.
Jim’s Comments
At first I didn’t think this accident had much to tell us ordinary pilots. The aerobatic community understands that this crash was caused by insufficient training, so there’s not much for them to learn from it.
However, it caused considerable comment on SA’s most popular aviation digital chatroom, so I ploughed through more than 300 posts to see what other pilots had to say. They made fascinating reading. So I have selected and condensed some of these views for you to think about.
Some of you will recognize the words of an experienced aerobatic pilot who ironically didn’t listen to his own advice and his own criticism of Andre. Soon afterwards he killed himself doing an unplanned high G pull-up at low level. This tells me you need more than knowledge and skill to be a safe pilot – you need cast iron discipline.
I’ll give you my thoughts at the end and tell you what I believe is the basic cause of Andre’s accident, and many others. Plus a golden tip for avoiding this type of accident.
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Guys, he was never a “windgat” [showoff]. The most competent and cautious pilot I ever flew with, which I did a lot.
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WAKE UP FOLKS – GET PROPER TRAINING, OR STAY AWAY FROM STUFF YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND.
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So in my total 1400 hours – 15 years with 600+ aerobatic hours – your statement that Aerobatics is dangerous is not only untrue but it sounds like you might have had a bad experience with someone unqualified.
This is the crux of the matter and why I think pilots who do beat-ups are intellectually challenged and personality deficient. If you are so insecure or stupid that you would intentionally take risks to gain a perceived “respect” from others, even after they have told you that they think it makes you a bigger wally, then you probably deserve to remove yourself and your future influence from the gene pool.
Just so sad when family gets left behind for no good reason.
[The guy who wrote the above comments killed himself shortly afterwards. He was showing off doing a high G pull-up at low-level when the main spar failed.]
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HappySkipper wrote: Jim – let’s say a guy has some aerobatic experience, and flies a light single with a +4/-2 G rating, on arrival at an airshow/gathering/fly-in or whatever, he does a low-level, high speed run into wind down the active runway, then pulls up into a “zoom” whilst banking 45° to position himself on a downwind, would that be considered dangerous, or showing off? I ask, because I would like to know whether my LCC (the Famous Live Cowards’ Club) membership might be revoked?
ANSWER: Slappy Kipper, you wouldn’t be going to 46° , or even 47° of bank, would you?
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Speed is Life… and Altitude is Life Insurance
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Good morning Jim. There seems to be a hint that LCC members only pussy-foot around the patch when the weather is fine – and should not really enjoy the “manly” side of flying.
REPLY: That’s stone wrong. The LCC encourages all pilots to learn nice, smooth aerobatics at a sensible height, in the right aircraft, with a good aerobatic instructor. There’s no greater pleasure with your pants on – apart from a greasy three-pointer in a taildragger.
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Proud LCC life member. This year I celebrate 40 years in aviation – I aim to see many more years – thank you LCC.
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Patty Wagstaff (World Aerobatic Champion https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patty_Wagstaff) says: The rules are simple, and I’ve found it’s best to heed them.
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So before we criticize somebody like Andre, who died before he aspired to greater heights, don’t be fooled that only the “windgat” die doing aerobatics. History is filled with the names of dead aerobatic pilots.
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This bloke was sent out by a pro to get comfortable with the aircraft then “come back so we can teach you properly” how to do aerobatics. Now somewhere in between he lost himself and did something stupid and paid dearly so he now won’t be learning to do aerobatics anymore. He just did his last one. Maybe it will sharpen some aviator somewhere on this forum. Me, I will continue with the LCC.
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Even when the professional aero teams do low level aeros my stomach tightens, I turn my head and do something else. I don’t enjoy watching low level aerobatics at all.
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Ownership does not guarantee proficiency.
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What made him do this? The male f*****g EGO.
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Andre, I knew you for a short while but this could have been prevented.
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Is it really only “his affair” when he was conducting low-level aerobatics outside of an aerobatic box/practice area which resulted in a crash close to houses, which may well have cost the lives of innocent people going about their household chores?
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I can recall so many names of people I knew, who were really nice chaps, good pilots and enthusiastic aviators, whom I wish I could see strolling around on the mentioned aeroplane aprons – but alas, who I can only see in the mirrored images of my memories…. sad?
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I think the basic question to be asked is, was this accident sequence part of a “PLANNED” display, or was it a “SPUR OF THE MOMENT” / “UNPLANNED” action?
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Andre – the accident pilot – previously wrote: I enjoy the Pitts. Keep checking the sky – would be nice if someone can give me some feedback. I fly almost every weekend from FARG. Would like to see those photos.
[Jim says, I’m afraid it sounds a lot like look-at-me].
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One just needs to look at the number of fatal ‘beat-ups’ that have taken place over the past five years and ask what makes pilots want to show off, just to kill themselves, and sometimes take others with them? US statistics suggest that ‘beat-ups’ are the major cause of fatal accidents in General Aviation, especially when there is an audience.
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Andre was laid to rest today. What a nice down-to-earth gentleman.
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Almost five years ago I lost my leg, and almost my life, in a Harley accident. There were many times I wished that I never woke up. During the following year I lost my wife and two darling daughters together with their arms and laughter. Also lost was the PPL that I was privileged to enjoy for 20 years.
I didn’t ask for or expect sympathy. My foolish behaviour on my Harley had caused the nightmare that haunted every sleeping and waking hour of my life, but I am paying for it dearly. How I wish I could turn back the hands of time for my family whose lives were also shattered. They had no part in my conduct for which they are also suffering.
If Andre could turn back the hands of time, not for himself, but for all other wives, friends, daughters and parents. If only.
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Jim Again
With aerobatics in a high density altitude, you go up slower – and come down faster and further.
Why must it be done at low level? There’s only one answer – showing off!
In the 60s, two successive bosses of the Beech agents killed themselves doing beat-ups at airshows. The first was Henry Hunt in a Musketeer, with a passenger. I can’t remember the name of the second, but he had three pax in a Sundowner. Then there was Quinton Posthumus, a Placo salesman who did it at Youngsfield in a 140 Cherokee with three girls on board. And then Jack Jay, another Placo salesman, four-up in a 235. He took a photographer’s head off and then crashed. Next was Angus McKenzie, who did it at Parys in a Bonanza. There are more, but these are the ones who spring to mind. All experienced pilots, and all killed doing wing-overs after beat-ups. Oh, and there was Hookie Baldwin who did the same in a home-built at Karel van Aswegen’s strip near Plett. The list is impressive – and all experienced pilots.
All because it seems so easy, but it’s far more complicated and dangerous than it looks.
Briefly, the secondary effect of rudder tries to pull the nose down and roll you on your back. You counteract with elevator and aileron and you spin in from 300’.
Don’t play silly-buggers NEAR THE GROUND.
Golden tip
Keep a photo of your child or loved one stuck on the instrument panel.