/ 24 October 2008

Two killed in Vereeniging air crash

Two people were killed when their light aircraft crashed near Poortjie in Orange Farm on Friday morning, police said.

Captain Johannes Motsiri said the pilot and the passenger were killed when their plane crashed just before 10am in Orange Farm, near Vereeniging.

The passenger was found about 500m from the accident scene and the pilot was found inside the wreckage.

”According to an eyewitness the plane lost control and started spinning. When the wings and the doors started coming off the passenger fell out of the plane,” said Motsiri.

Family members would be informed about the accident after a through investigation had been conducted on the scene, he said. An inquest docket was opened.

Over the last three months 28 people have been killed in four aircraft crashes.

On Tuesday six people were killed when their aircraft crashed in Germiston shortly after taking off from Rand Airport near Germiston.

On October 6, nine people, including four children, died in an aircraft crash in Barberton, Mpumulanga.

In September six people died in two aircraft accidents in East London and KwaZulu-Natal.

In East London, four people were killed when a small aircraft crashed shortly after taking off. In KwaZulu-Natal two people died when an aircraft crashed and caught fire in the mountainous Jagersrust, in Bergville.

In August one person died and two were injured when a light aircraft crashed on to a golf course near Rand Airport.

Last year about 40 people were killed in about 30 aircraft crashes. – Sapa