SA EXPRESS, which flies about three flights a day to Gaborone, has stepped in to assist Botswana Air’s passenger load between Johannesburg and Gaborone after a pilot on a suicide mission wiped out three of the airline’s four aircraft on Monday. Captain Chris Phatshwe, who is believed to have suffered from Aids, commandeered one of Air Botswana’s 42-seater ATR passenger planes at Sir Seretse Khama Airport at about 6.30am. He threatened to fly the plane into an Air Botswana building next to the airport. Reports say he also threatened to crash into the state residence of President Festus Mogae. The pilot was forced to land after running out of fuel. Once he had landed he smashed his plane into the other two Air Botswana aircraft parked on the apron. Phatswhe, who was co-ordinating the airline’s safety programme, was grounded because he failed a fitness test two months ago.