South Africa - South Africa’s general aviation training sector is under renewed scrutiny and in the Indian media following a series of fatal training accidents that have raised concerns about flight safety, regulatory oversight, and training standards.
- The latest incident, on 15 October 2025, claimed the lives of an Indian trainee pilot and 35-year-old South African pilot, both enrolled at Aviation Junction Flying School in Secunda, Mpumalanga. They were operating two separate Sling 2 aircraft during routine training flights when they reportedly encountered poor weather conditions including mist, drizzle, and low visibility shortly after departure.
- Also in October 2025: Johannesburg – Indian trainee, training with Vulcan Aviation Institute, died after an engine failure during a solo flight.
- June 2025: Kwa Zulu-Natal (Greytown region) – Three killed, including a female student pilot, when a light aircraft crashed en route to Pretoria.
- November 2024: Cullinan / Pretoria area – Instructor and trainee killed during a routine flight to Wonderboom Airport.
- February 2024: Westonaria, Gauteng – A Cessna 172K crashed during a training sortie, killing both instructor and student.
Source: Media Reporting
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