The SA Air Force (SAAF) King Air light transport aircraft door that came adrift soon after take-off from Lanseria International Airport just over a week ago was found north of runway 7/25.
The door, fitted to 41 Squadron King Air B200C (tail number 650), went MIA (missing in action) soon after the twin-engined aircraft left Lanseria for Air Force Base (AFB) Waterkloof, 28 nautical miles to the west. A brief SAAF Corporate Services statement had it the aircraft lost its passenger door “upon take-off but managed to fly to AFB Waterkloof and land safely”.
A subsequent statement from the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) Directorate Corporate Communication (DCC) has it the door “was located within a farm erf a short distance north of Lanseria airport precinct and has been retrieved and taken to AFB Waterkloof”. It continues: “Upon inspection of the area where the door was located and as confirmed by the farm owner, it was established that there was no damage to infrastructure nor was there any loss of life suffered on the farm. The investigation of the incident continues”.
Lanseria-based Execujet was awarded a contract for SAAF King Air maintenance, with Armscor in November last year stating the contract runs from December 2023 to late March 2026 and has a ceiling amount of R95 million.
According to Armscor, King Airs 650 and 652 underwent scheduled servicing but 650 experienced fuel cell leaks when delivered to the SAAF and new fuel cells were ordered. 650 received Blackhawk-upgraded Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67A engines, producing 1 050 shaft horsepower up to 25 000 feet, while the aircraft’s stock engines begin losing power at 15 000 feet. Both aircraft received refurbished cabins.
The SAAF has four King Airs in its inventory but 650 may be withdrawn from service if there is major damage to the fuselage.
Other King Airs have experienced in-flight door losses. For example, in February, a privately owned medical evacuation aircraft, ZS-LFW, had its door detach in flight while approaching Bloemfontein Airport after a flight from Kimberley on 8 February. Noone on board (two pilots, doctor and a paramedic) was injured, and the door was recovered from a parking area in Heidedal (a suburb of Bloemfontein) and returned to the operator.
