Boeing 737 incident near Port Elizabeth, Za, May 4, 2018
On May 4, 2018 at about 7:28 am local time, a Boeing 737, registered ZSVDP, was involved in an incident during enroute (climb to cruise) near Port Elizabeth. It was flown under foreign airline rules (Part 129). The NTSB record does not give the injuries.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this incident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 4, 2018 · about 7:28 am local time
- Place
- Port Elizabeth, South Africa
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- The NTSB record does not give the injuries.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Boeing 737 300 · all 737s on the register
- Registration
- ZSVDP · no longer on the register · serial 27346
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · foreign airline rules (Part 129)
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) of South Africa has informed the NTSB of an incident involving a Boeing 737-300, which occurred on May 4, 2018. The NTSB has appointed a U.S Accredited Representative to assist the CAA investigation under the provisions of ICAO Annex 13 as the State of Manufacturer and Design of the airplane. All investigative information will be released by the CAA of South Africa.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Pressure/environ sys malf/fail during enroute (climb to cruise) defining event
The aircraft
- Landing gear: retractable
The flight
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.