Cessna 172 accident near Midrand, Za, October 8, 2018
On October 8, 2018 at about 9:20 am local time, a Cessna 172, registered ZSPZT, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern downwind) near Midrand (Grand Central Airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under non-U.S. private rules. 1 person was killed.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. 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 8, 2018 · about 9:20 am local time
- Place
- Midrand, South Africa · Grand Central Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 L · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- ZSPZT · no longer on the register · serial 17260377
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · non-U.S. private rules
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On October 8, 2018, at 0920 coordinated universal time, a Cessna 172L airplane, registration ZS-PZT, sustained substantial damage after colliding with the ground during the landing approach at Grand Central Airport, Midrand, South Africa. The pilot and one person on the ground sustained fatal injuries. The Civil Aviation Authority of South Africa, Accident & Incident Investigation Division (AIID) is investigating the accident. As the state of manufacture of the airplane, the NTSB has designated a US accredited representative to assist the AIID in its investigation. All inquiries concerning this accident 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
- Unknown or undetermined during approach (VFR pattern downwind) defining event
Pilot
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 2,299 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Lanseria Flight Centre (Pty) Ltd
The flight
- Destination: FAGC Midrand
Weather at the time
- Wind: from 350° at 5 knots
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
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.