Convair 340 (C-131D) ZS-BRV crash Pretoria, South Africa
 

ZS-BRV was due to be ferried from South Africa to the Aviodome in The Netherlands this month.It had been repainted in the old Martins Air Charter livery. News is coming in that it has crashed (on landing?) at Pretoria today. It broke into 3 parts and there are reports of 21 injuries.

I found a picture of ZS-BRV taken a couple of days ago with this note:



https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/9002145

Was the Martin's Air Charter lettering added (or revealed?) in the past couple of days?

I believe the titles were added very recently.

How does one modify the thread title? I think Pretoria, South Africa needs to be added. Mods, can you help?





Done.

Senior Pilot

Aviodome reports it as a test flight. Is it customary to carry 19 pax on a test flight? Of course they may have all been personnel so to speak.

Of origin yes. However, it was reported in several publications as having been converted to an CV-340. I have also seen it referred to as a CV-440, which it is not. Confusion may arise from the fact that the previous owner had 2 Convairs with that registration at one time or another.

Casualties reported: https://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/N...ports-20180710

Video of the takeoff seems to show engine smoke:

yes it seems it blew the left engine just before or at rotation on the video - such a shame - one of the crew died RIP very sad
gorgeous old aeroplane - now in bits and gone forever
donated from Rovos Rail - sadly they had a very bad train crash a while ago with their vintage restored train which killed several crew

it seems the a/c was trying to get back to the airport PDQ and didn't make it crashing into a field after clipping a warehouse

rog747 you do not know that a pilot died. You may have read that a crew member died. Please be careful with your terminology, there are next of kin out here trying to find the answers.

To be fair anxiao, several news sources are now quoting that one of the pilot's died.

Which just shows how careful you have to be when re-quoting other sources. I shall not divulge my information here but even the EMS spokesperson did to know who had died.

To the press, anyone forward of the flight deck door is a pilot. If you know aviation, that is not a correct assumption.

Just stop being ghoulish until the next of kin have been informed.

Keep your hair on! I see no indication that anyone was being "ghoulish" here!

The SACAA can be relied upon to publish a full investigation is due course, their work is always to a very high standard.
How good would the single engine performance be under hot & high conditions ?
The Convair would have a captain and a FO up front so "pilot" is ambiguous, would they also have a FE ?

I believe the airplane was certified with a two-man (person) crew. As to single-engine performance just after lift-off, it was problematic. There was no requirement to meet a OEI takeoff flight path when these airplanes were certified. Could the failed engine prop be feathered? I don't have a clue.

The two pilots are personal friends of mine. Both are in a critical condition in J'burg hospitals.

They were taking the aircraft to the Aviodome tomorrow, expecting to complete the delivery within a week. The two SA engineers were accompanying them as they did for the delivery of the first aircraft to Australia.

It was to be a quick "run around the block" with the passengers those who had worked on and with the aircraft during their return to service following Rovos' choice to gift them to museums.

Let's keep those injured in our thoughts as many are quite ill and condolences to the deceased.

The facts will some later.

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.gmf...e578abeb08.jpg

From a South African aviation site. Taken shortly after takeoff.

The aircraft began life as a Convair C-131D-CO Samaritan, which was the military version of a 340. Registered in South Africa as a 340.

edited fatality
 

edited fatality seems I gather from later news and AVh it was reportedly the engineer (one of 2 on the flight?) who sadly succumbed to injuries RIP

seems the a/c went straight through the warehouse (not clipping it) :(

such a sad occurrence that a vintage airliner honoured for a historic Dutch charter airline ends of like this - condolences to all