Savannah Down - South Africa

[RichTee]

I write to advise that a Savannah S went missing on Wed afternoon in the East London area of South Africa.

 

It is with a very heavy heart that news has just come in that the aircraft wreckage has just been found.

 

The pilot was the Savannah agent for Southern Africa - John Waterson and a passenger (Gerald whom I believe worked for him).

 

John was a very experienced and careful pilot who knew the Savannah better than anyone....indeed I believe he was their most prolific agent. He had sold many many into South Africa and he had sold 17 Savannah's into Zimbabwe alone - 15 of which he built.

 

We await more news as to the possible cause but I can advise that this was apparently a "test flight" on a plane he had recently built.

 

John was a true gentleman with a great sense of humour and he was always keen to help-out a fellow aviator.

 

He will sorely missed by the community - you did not stay a customer for long - you soon became friends.

 

I can not imagine the devastation this must bring to his wife and young family who are in our thoughts and prayers for a long time to come.

 

A very tragic loss.

 

RIP JW.

 

 

[Head in the clouds]

So sad to hear. Tragic news.

 

RIP John and Gerald, and sincerest condolences to family and friends.

 

 

[rankamateur]

I guess this is why Australian rules don't allow us to carry a passenger during the 25 hour proving period.

 

 

[Head in the clouds]

I guess this is why Australian rules don't allow us to carry a passenger during the 25 hour proving period.

There's no proving period for a factory build.

 

 

[rankamateur]

There's no proving period for a factory build.

"I can advise that this was apparently a "test flight" on a plane he had recently built." This from the original post suggests that this was not a factory build.

 

 

[Head in the clouds]

"I can advise that this was apparently a "test flight" on a plane he had recently built." This from the original post suggests that this was not a factory build.

Except that he was the dealer/factory builder ... is there a reason for this rank? Perhaps we'll learn more soon enough ...

 

 

[RichTee]

"I can advise that this was apparently a "test flight" on a plane he had recently built." This from the original post suggests that this was not a factory build.

Indeed John was the agent/dealer and had built "over 100" in his factory.

 

Apart from being a very well liked individual.....JW was an extremely capable pilot and I think that when the report is out showing his hrs on type - it will show that he had perhaps the most hrs on type worldwide....save perhaps a pilot or 2 working for ICP.

 

I would encourage anyone who wishes to know more to follow the Academy & Flight Safety forum on www.avcom.co.za - where this accident is being discussed.

 

Regards,

 

Rich

 

 

[Bats]

The photos of the aircraft remains are pretty sobering. I hope that the investigation uncovers a clear cause, but given the circumstances, this may not be possible.

 

 

[mcrowley]

Indeed John was the agent/dealer and had built "over 100" in his factory.Apart from being a very well liked individual.....JW was an extremely capable pilot and I think that when the report is out showing his hrs on type - it will show that he had perhaps the most hrs on type worldwide....save perhaps a pilot or 2 working for ICP.

 

I would encourage anyone who wishes to know more to follow the Academy & Flight Safety forum on www.avcom.co.za - where this accident is being discussed.

 

Regards,

 

Rich

Is there any way those of us on this forum can read that information without becoming a member of their forums as well?

 

 

[RichTee]

Is there any way those of us on this forum can read that information without becoming a member of their forums as well?

Not that i am aware of...unless the admin of this site made an arrangement with the admin of that site.

 

Due to the fire - it is unlikely that a definitive cause will be found for some time - but the avcom safety forum encourages speculation and there are some great aviators who chip in with comments & thoughts so the speculation can be of great value.

 

 

[Bats]

I don't believe so. For the moment you're not missing much; all that is known is that the factory owner / agent and an employee who is himself busy training toward a licence, took off to conduct some upper air work as part of testing the newly built aircraft. They were last heard to say they were descending to low level in the vicinity of the wreck. The aircraft appears to have gone in very steeply and at some speed, just off the extended centreline of a strip in the area. It subsequently caught fire and there is very little left that resembles an aircraft. To date, the postings are largely tributes a well liked and respected pilot and guesses, some wilder than others as to what may have happened.

 

Edit: Sorry dual transmission with RichTee

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

I didnt see any pictures...so it also caught fire...then its problematic on what may have caused the crash

 

 

[Bats]

There are some in a newspaper article, I'll see if I can copy across.

 

 

[Bats]

[GALLERY=media, 4055]El Sav by Bats posted Jan 29, 2018 at 4:07 PM[/GALLERY]

 

The story says more or less that the aircraft had been found in dense bush near Morgan Bay, burnt out and with both occupants deceased, after earlier going missing.

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

No surviving that :(.....looks like came in fast and hard

 

 

[snarf007]

Sad news.

 

The EAB rules in South Africa allows for profesionally built aircraft and there is no 51% requirement. There are companies like Robin Cross Aviation building RV’s and Super Cubs.

 

The article reads that they lost radar contact with the aircraft at 15:30. Hopefully the radar data will shed some light on the cause. I am surprized that there is radar coverage in that part of the Eastern Cape (Ciskei).

 

 

[Bats]

It seems that the aircraft was fitted with an MGL EFIS, the bloke behind MGL says that there is a reasonable chance that the flash memory chip will be readable, despite impact and fire damage.

 

"This device contains a single chip "crash log". This contains the last hour of flight operations on a per second bases (i.e. primary flight data, attitude, GPS track, etc). Even with a severely damaged EFIS we can most likely recover the data from that chip."

 

I've got to say that Occam's Razor is beckoning in the background - an aircraft going in more or less vertically on the extended centreline of the approach end of a runway...., stall/spin off the base to final turn has got to be a serious possibility. I'd suggest that the pilot may not have been the one manipulating the controls either, easy to understand the impulse to allow a keen employee (and frequent passenger) who is training for his own licence to "have a go". Let's hope that the EFIS reveals its secrets, it may not bring anyone back but it may give those of us who fly Savannahs, some peace of mind .

 

 

[eightyknots]

Any more news?

 

 

[Bats]

Unfortunately the fire seems to have been particularly intense and nothing has survived from the EFIS.

 

 

[eightyknots]

It is a pity that there are no more details. We could all have learned something from this incident.

 

 

[RichTee]

Sorry for the lack of info. My understanding is that tests have shown that the pilot had suffered a heart attack mid-air and died prior to impact. The accident report will, if history is anything to go by, take some time to come out but I will post it here when it does come out.