Accident Register

Notes about the Accident Register

  • This Accident Register is a perpetual work-in-progress and pilots are welcome to review and provide feedback (please email your comments and suggestions to office@sahpa.co.za).
  • The summary description of each accident will be written and included after a review by the SAHPA Safety Committee.
  • Speedflying accidents are included, even if speedflying is not yet formally recognised by SAHPA. The discipline should be incorporated into current operations as it meets the definition of a paraglider. Speedflying pilots who wish to formalise the sport are invited to approach SAHPA with a proposal for inclusion into the current licensing and training scheme.
  • We are aware of several accidents where rescue services attended (and reported on social media), but which were not reported to SAHPA. These accidents are largely excluded from the Accident Register as the pilots cannot be identified.
  • We support the principles and practices of Just Culture, where pilots are encouraged to self-disclose in the interests of creating a safer flying environment for all pilots. Information which is voluntarily disclosed through the formal Accident and Incident Reporting System may not be used in disciplinary proceedings.

Classification of Injuries

The “Outcome” column is rough classification system which is defined as follows:

  • No injury – this is rare, and is only used for when there has been no injury, but there has been a 3rd party insurance claim. For example, where a pilot has bounced off a motor vehicle.
  • Injury not known – this happens when someone is injured but does not report back, for instance if a tandem passenger goes for x-rays and does not notify the tandem pilot.
  • Minor injuries – these are injuries which are typically non-permanent (ie. they can heal) and require relatively minimal medical treatment (x-rays, splint etc). Examples include:
    • Bruising, grazing
    • Cracked wrist
    • Concussion
  • Serious injuries – these are complex or life-threatening injuries which require significant medical care, and also injuries which take long to heal, or even permanent. Examples include:
    • Multiple fractures
    • Broken hip or femur requiring pins and crutches
    • 3rd degree burns
    • Broken spine, Paralysis
  • Fatality – this is when a person has died, either on scene, or later as a direct result of injuries sustained in the accident.

Search and Rescue Services

In the event of an accident, the first number that any pilot (or recovery driver) should call is the Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre (ARCC). This is a FREE Search And Rescue service funded by the Department of Transport, that have the authority and mandate to coordinate and allocate rescue services across Southern Africa.

Trauma Counselling

We encourage anyone (pilots, friends, family, paramedics) who has been injured or involved in a rescue to contact Mayday-SA for free and confidential trauma-counselling. This is a volunteer service providing a compassionate support to the aviation sector in South Africa.

Data Source

The SAHPA Accident Register:

  • Excludes incidents,
  • Includes all fatalities from 1997
  • Includes all accidents reported from 2012, however accident information before 2017 is spotty.

Summary Reports