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| Date: | Tuesday 8 February 2005 |
| Time: | c. 16:19 UTC |
| Type: |  Boeing 737-85F (WL) |
| Owner/operator: | South African Airways - SAA |
| Registration: | ZS-SJD |
| MSN: | 28829/582 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2000 |
| Engine model: | CFMI CFM56-7B |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 151 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | None |
| Category: | Serious incident |
| Location: | Johannesburg-O.R. Tambo International Airport (JNB/FAOR) -
 South Africa
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Passenger - Scheduled |
| Departure airport: | Johannesburg-O.R. Tambo International Airport (JNB/FAOR) |
| Cape Town International Airport (CPT/FACT) | |
| Investigating agency: | CAA S.A. |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
On 8 February 2005 at 1619Z, the Boeing B737-800, flight No. SAA 363 departed Johannesburg
International Airport (FAJS) from Runway 21R on a Domestic Scheduled Flight to Cape Town International Airport (FACT).
The Captain stated that after the aircraft reached an IAS (indicated airspeed) of 70 knots during the take-off roll with the surface wind 120˚ at 13 knots (90˚ crosswind from the left), the aircraft appeared to accelerate slightly slower than normal and he suspected a flat tyre.
He further stated that as the aircraft became airborne, he experienced some difficulty in controlling the aircraft as the aircraft started rolling to the right. He immediately applied right rudder and 69.6 degrees left aileron input in order to maintain directional control. They verified that no engine failure had occurred and the co-pilot adjusted the engine power symmetrically.
After the Captain acknowledged a request from the co-pilot, the co-pilot called “MAYDAY” as both pilots were concerned regarding the controllability of the aircraft in close proximity to the ground. The Captain corrected the cross-control input that was applied, the aircraft responded normally at approximately 1000ft AGL and the aircraft climbed away normally at 1100ft/min.
The aircraft continued the flight to Cape Town International Airport without any further incident. There were no injuries and no damage to the aircraft.
The aircraft was first registered on 6 December 2001. The last Check ‘A’ was certified 7 February 2005 at 11366.16 airframe hours. The aircraft had flown a further 3.36 hours since then.
The Aircraft Maintenance Organization, J44/001 was Audit on 9 to 12 May 2004 and no major non compliances were identified.
Probable Cause:
The pilot induced approximately 4 degrees of right rudder and 69.6 degrees of left aileron wheel input (crossed controls) when the aircraft rolled to the right during take-off with thunderstorm activities in close proximity to the airport. A contributory factor could be that the crosswind component with the thunderstorm activities ahead allowed the pilot to over-react and aggravated the situation after take-off giving the wrong rudder control input and created a cross control flight situation.
The combination of control forces, roll-yaw coupling and the presence of lateral acceleration in a cross-controlled sideslip condition can give the appearance of control problems or thrust asymmetry if the cross-control situation is not recognized.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
https://caasanwebsitestorage.blob.core.windows.net/accident-report-archive/0375.pdf
https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/7340611 (Photo)
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 11 December 2007 | ZS-SJD | South African Airways - SAA | 0 | Lusaka-Kenneth Kaunda International Airport (LUN/FLKK) |  |
min |
| 9 April 2017 | ZS-SJD | Mango | 0 | near Cape Town International Airport (CPT) | |
min |
| Bird strike | ||||||
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 31-Oct-2025 00:57 | Justanormalperson | Added |
| 31-Oct-2025 00:57 | Justanormalperson | Updated [Accident report, ] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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