Bloemfontein - Johannesburg

On April 12, 1988 at 08:08 PM, Bloemfontein - Johannesburg experienced a crash involving Douglas DC-3, operated by United Air, with the event recorded near Hennenman Free State.

The flight was categorized as charter/taxi (non scheduled revenue flight) and the reported phase was flight at a plain, valley crash site.

24 people were known to be on board, 24 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

Crew on board: 3, crew fatalities: 3, passengers on board: 21, passenger fatalities: 21, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is technical failure. The twin engine airplane was completing a charter flight from Bloemfontein to Johannesburg, carrying a team of jockeys and trainers. While cruising at an altitude of 9,000 feet, the captain declared an emergency due to an in-flight fire in the cabin. Cleared to return to Bloemfontein Airport, the crew started an emergency descent when the aircraft entered a dive and crashed in a 45° nose-down angle in an open field located in Hennenman, about 25 km east of Welkom. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 24 occupants were killed. Crew: Jacob Kalt, captain, Harold Whitehead, copilot, Jacqueline Henderson, stewardess. Passengers: Keith Basel, Lawrence Riley, Johannes “Rooies” Fourie, Warren Baillie, Bennie de Wet, Greg Holme, Douglas Roper, Danny Lombard, John McMurtry, Mark Nel, Michael Coetzee, Simon Rahilly, Gordon Sterley Graham Kent, Dave Bullock, Henry Havergall, Ginger Masterton, Johannes van der Linden, Jacobus Viljoen, Neville Blignaut, Hennie van Wyk.

Aircraft reference details include registration ZS-UAS, MSN 6154, year of manufacture 1942.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately -27.9738°, 27.0279°.