Description 

On 23 January 2020, a Cessna S550 (ZS-CAR) being operated by the Flight Inspection Unit (FIU) of the South Africa Civil Aviation Authority for instrument approach calibration flights departed George, which is at an altitude of 648 feet amsl, on a day VFR flight plan in order to make a series of calibration flights in respect of the runway 11 ILS at George. As it levelled off downwind at 3,900 feet QNH, almost 1000 feet higher than originally advised, radar contact was lost and only a single MAYDAY call was heard a few seconds later. The wreckage was subsequently located in mountainous terrain at 2,200 feet amsl with no survivors.  

Investigation 

Because the accident had occurred to an aircraft operated by the South African CAA, a formal request in accordance with the corresponding provisions of Annex 13 was made to the Ethiopian Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) to perform the necessary Investigation rather than have it performed by the South African CAA Accident and Incident Investigation Division (AIID). This request was accepted and a formal agreement was made on 25 January 2021 under which the Ethiopian AAIB would complete an Investigation and submit the final draft report to the AIID for comment. When the two parties are agreed, the final report would be publicly released by the South African AIID.