💨 Abstract

In 2025, South Africa's skies have seen a surge in deadly light aircraft accidents, including crashes into a school, a helicopter crash, and multiple disappearances. Regulators are investigating the trend, noting many incidents occur shortly after takeoff in privately operated aircraft. A major concern is the shortage of trained air traffic controllers, with 50 leaving the country in the past year, leading to higher workloads and safety procedure shortcuts.

Courtesy: Ray Leathern