On 30 September 2026 at approximately 17:00, a Bell 430 helicopter, registered Z-PED and operated privately, crashed in Marondera, ZIMBABWE, while reportedly travelling from Gandami (Chikomba) to Harare. The 2004-built helicopter, MSN 49103, was carrying five occupants, all of whom reportedly died, and the aircraft was destroyed in the accident. According to the available preliminary account, the helicopter crashed about 40 minutes after departure, with adverse weather reportedly encountered during the flight. The Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ) Director General, George Mashababe, said preliminary findings indicated that fuel spilled when the helicopter struck the ground, subsequently causing a fire that spread to the surrounding grass. Investigators also recovered an intact flight recorder (“black box”) from the crash site at Kudenga Farm, which is expected to assist the investigation into…
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