| Statuts: | Enquête Officielle |
| Date: | 13 MAR 1967 |
| Heure: | 17:10 UTC |
| Type/Sous-type: | Vickers 818 Viscount |
| Compagnie: | South African Airways - SAA |
| Immatriculation: | ZS-CVA |
| Numéro de série: | 317 |
| Année de Fabrication: | 1958 |
| Moteurs: | 4 Rolls Royce 525 Dart |
| Equipage: | victimes: 5 / à bord: 5 |
| Passagers: | victimes: 20 / à bord: 20 |
| Total: | victimes: 25 / à bord: 25 |
| Dégats de l'appareil: | Perte Totale |
| Conséquences: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Lieu de l'accident: | 35 km (21.9 milles) de East London, South Africa (Océan Indien)
 |
| Phase de vol: | En approche (APR) |
| Nature: | Transport de Passagers Nat. |
| Aéroport de départ: | Port Elizabeth Airport (PLZ/FAPE), Afrique du Sud |
| Aéroport de destination: | East London Airport (ELS/FAEL), Afrique du Sud |
| Numéro de vol: | 406 |
Détails:The aircraft (named 'Rietbok') was approaching East London in bad weather. Last report from the aircraft was when the crew reported at 2000 feet with the coastline in sight. The aircraft crashed into the sea one minute later.
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The available data is not sufficient for the originating cause of the accident to be determined with any degree of probability. In the opinion of the Board certain possibilities can be excluded as being consistent with the evidence and/or as being remote and improbable; among these possibilities are structural failure, failure of the controls, or control surfaces, multiple engine failure, instrument failure, explosion, fire, a 'bad weather' accident and pilot error.
However, on the evidence the Board cannot exclude as the originating cause of the accident a heart attack suffered by the captain in the air, with ensuing loss of control of the aircraft, and with the first officer being unable in the time available to regain sufficient control to prevent contact with the sea."
It was later rumored that the aircraft crashed as a result of a structural failure, because comparable accidents happened during that time.
Sources:
» Rietbok: new evidence (Daily Dispatch, April 20, 2001)
Photos
Plan
Ce plan montre l'aéroport de départ ainsi que la supposé destination du vol. La ligne fixe reliant les deux aéroports n'est pas le plan de vol exact.
La distance entre Port Elizabeth Airport et East London Airport est de 230 km (144 miles).
Les informations ci-dessus ne représentent pas l'opinion de la 'Flight Safety Foundation' ou de 'Aviation Safety Network' sur les causes de l'accident. Ces informations prélimimaires sont basées sur les faits tels qui sont connus à ce jour.