Bae AVRO146RJ incident near Cape Town, Za, October 9, 2019
On October 9, 2019 at about 10:29 am local time, a Bae AVRO146RJ, registered ZSTCP, was involved in an incident during initial climb near Cape Town. It was flown under non-U.S. commercial rules. No one was hurt; 16 people were on board or involved.
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
- October 9, 2019 · about 10:29 am local time
- Place
- Cape Town, South Africa
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 16 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Bae AVRO146RJ 85
- Registration
- ZSTCP · no longer on the register · serial E2389
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · non-U.S. commercial rules
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On October 9, 2019, a South African Airlink British Aerospace Avro 146-RJ85, registered in South Africa as ZS-TCP, experienced a No. 3 engine fire warning on departure from Cape Town International Aerodrome, Cape Town, South Africa. The airplane is equipped with Honeywell ALF507 engines. The South African Civil Aviation Authority, Accident and Incident Investigation Division (AAID) is investigating this incident. As the state of manufacture of the engine, the NTSB designated an U.S. accredited representative to assist the AAID with its investigation. All inquiries concerning this incident should be directed to: South African Civil Aviation Authority Accidents and Incidents Investigation Division Private Bag X 73 Halfway House 1685 South Africa Website: http://www.caa.co.za
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
- Fire/smoke (non-impact) during initial climb defining event
The aircraft
- Landing gear: retractable
The flight
- Departed from: Cape Town
- Destination: Botswana
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 2 | |||
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 12 |
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.