Police and navy divers were still combing an area off Cape Point on Wednesday afternoon for the body of a trainee pilot who plunged to his death in a helicopter crash.
The man, whom Die Burger identified as Cape Town father-of-two Marthinus Erasmus, was flying alone at about 10.30am on Tuesday when witnesses saw his Robinson R22 helicopter crash into the sea.
Police spokesperson Superintendent Billy Jones did not want to confirm the identity in the absence of the body and positive identification by a family member.
An employee at Starlite Aviation, who wanted to remain anonymous, said pupil pilots on average receive 15 to 25 hours of training with an instructor before being allowed to fly solo.
Company chief executive Barry Duff on Tuesday did not want to divulge the pilot’s identity or any other information, saying it was a ”very sensitive issue”.
”At this stage we can’t confirm anything because it’s still under investigation … The aircraft was not owned by Starlite Aviation, but was operated by Starlite,” said Duff.
He said he was not aware of the circumstances that led to the crash and was awaiting a final report from investigators and emergency personnel before commenting further.
The Robinson helicopter is among the world’s best-selling civilian piston-powered rotorcraft. — Sapa