You can contribute by submitting additional or updated information.
| Date: | Thursday 24 April 2025 |
| Time: | 08:15 UTC |
| Type: |  Piper PA-36-375 Pawnee Brave |
| Owner/operator: | |
| Registration: | ZS-KHR |
| MSN: | 36-7802059 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1976 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 9072 hours |
| Engine model: | P&W Canada PT6A-20 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | 20 km north of Porterville Airstrip -
 South Africa
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Agricultural |
| Departure airport: | Porterville Airstrip |
| Porterville Airstrip | |
| Investigating agency: | CAA S.A. |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
A Piper PA-36-375 Pawnee Brave aircraft with registration ZS-KHR was engaged in a crop-spraying flight from Porterville Airstrip in Cedarberg, Western Cape province, with the intention to return to the same airstrip.
After a briefing with the farm owner about the citrus crops to be sprayed, the pilot taxied the aircraft to the threshold of the gravel runway, which was 800 metres (m) in length, and completed the pre-departure checks. Thereafter, he advanced the throttle to 2500 revolutions per minute (RPM) and commenced with the take-off run. The aircraft rotated and climbed to 1 000 feet (ft) above ground level (AGL) and cruised at 140 miles per hour (mph). It routed in the direction of the citrus farm to be sprayed, approximately 20 kilometres (km) north of the departure airstrip.
Upon arrival at the citrus farm, which was on the leeside of the mountain, the pilot circled the area to scan for potential obstacles and hazards. Thereafter, he commenced with the first spray-run application. He reported that during this process, the aircraft lost lift due to a sudden downdraft from the mountain and struck the 30-feet (ft) tall citrus treetops with the main wheels and spray boom. Consequently, the aircraft pitched down. The pilot could not recover the aircraft and it crashed on the ground. After the crash, the pilot turned off the master and fuel switches and vacated the aircraft unassisted; he was not injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged.
Probable Cause The aircraft struck the citrus treetops during the crop-spraying application on the leeside of the
mountain after experiencing a downdraft which caused it lose height and crash on the ground.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
SACAA
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 31 July 2001 | ZS-KHR | 0 | Koringbert | |
||
| 24 October 2009 | ZS-KHR | WDMJ Beleggings CC | Ceres, Western Cape | |
sub |
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 12-Jul-2025 11:50 | ASN | Added |
| 12-Jul-2025 11:53 | ASN | Updated [Aircraft type, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Location, Phase, Nature, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Narrative, ] |
| 12-Jul-2025 11:55 | ASN | Updated |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2025 Flight Safety Foundation