Family takes on SACAA over alleged noncompliance, crash cover-up

For aviation technical expert Sputla Lekalakala, the emotional scars may still be fresh, but the father of three is determined to get to the bottom of the fatal crash of the SA Civil Aviation Authority’s Cessna S550 Citation SII that claimed the lives of the three-member crew, including his wife Tebogo.

In officially announcing the crash, SA Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) chief executive Poppy Khoza lauded the crew: first officer Tebogo Lekalakala, 33, captain Thabiso Tolo, 49, and flight inspector Gugu Mnguni, 36, for their flawless flight records and extensive aviation experience.

Khoza said the regulator was baffled and devastated by the incident. Khoza promised the bereaved families a swift investigation but Lekalakala, who plans to take legal action, has unearthed a trail of
evidence revealing:

• The crew complained several months before the crash about the plane’s noncompliance with safety requirements, which included being fitted with a noncompliant flight data recorder.
• Department of transport deputy director-general Andries Ntjane refused a request by the International Air Services Council (IASC) to grant Lekalakala access to the SACAA flight inspection unit’s (FIU) records; and
• SACAA’s questionable dual role as a regulator and an operator – in conflict with annexure 13 of the International Council for Civil Aviation Organisation.

ALSO READ: Plane crash: Family want independent probe into SACAA’s safety compliance

Documents seen by Saturday Citizen included minutes of the SACAA safety meeting in November 2019 – before the January 2020 plane crash – and a letter by IASC to Lekalakala confirming Ntjane’s refusal to grant Lekalakala access to the regulator’s FIU records.

In an exclusive interview, Lekalakala opened up about the untimely death of his wife, her concerns about her safety in the Cessna S550 Citation SII and SACAA management’s cover-up after the crash.

Lekalakala said: “I spoke to her that morning – before they flew out of PE and when they landed in George. They were refuelling and preparing to go out. The next call that came through was from the SACAA, saying the aircraft was missing. Hours later, the SACAA called to say it was a fatal accident.

“That was devastating and I had to go through a phase of mourning. But I told myself that with the information that she had told me, I had to take it further. We both came from aviation – I am from the maintenance side and she is from the flying side.

“She would share flight experiences and problems encountered and ask for my view. She would also communicate issues – her lack of trust in the maintenance team for that plane. When they got into the plane, it would look at as if it had not been touched by the maintenance guys.”

The aircraft was grounded in November 2019 due to smoke in the cockpit and only flew again in January.

“By that time, there was already a backlog in terms of calibrating airports. Somebody quite senior within the CAA must have pushed the crew and said there was need to calibrate – an organisational
pressure,” said Lekalakala.

SACAA spokesperson Phindiwe Gwebu said the minister of transport had appointed independent investigators to probe the crash. Asked about blocking access SACAA FIU records, Ntjane asked for questions to be e-mailed, but he did not reply.

– brians@citizen.co.za