The CEO of tile company Italtile, Gianpaolo Ravazzotti, was one of nine people killed in a plane crash over Plettenberg Bay on the Garden Route on Tuesday, the company said.
“Gianpaolo Ravazzotti and his colleagues tragically passed away in an aeroplane accident on Tuesday February 8,” the company’s board said in a statement released on Wednesday morning.
“The wreckage of the aircraft has been located in the Robberg area and the bodies of all of the passengers have been found.
“A full investigation is under way to determine the cause of the crash.”
The dead include Ravazzotti and eight of his colleagues and business partners — Gia Celori of Italtile, Marilize Compion of Italtile, Sava Di Bella of Prima Bella Bathroom Accessories, Simon Hirschberg of the company Grainwave, Jody Jansen van Rensburg of CTM Alberton, Aletsia Krause of Italtile, pilot for Italtile Bronwyn Parsons, and co-pilot Alison van Staden.
Condolences
“On behalf of the board, I express my heartfelt sympathy and condolences to the chairperson of the group, Mr Gianni Ravazzotti, his wife Annabel and their daughters and Gianpaolo’s wife, Vanessa and their children, as well as the families of all of the deceased,” Italtile chief financial officer Peter Swatton said.
“The group will ensure that every effort is made to provide the counselling and support required by those affected by this tragedy.”
The board said it would announce its succession plans “in due course”.
National Sea Rescue Institute spokesperson Craig Lambinon said the aircraft’s wreckage was found just off-shore of the Robberg Nature Reserve at 6.06am on Wednesday.
The aircraft had been travelling from Queenstown to Plettenberg Bay on Tuesday. It disappeared at 4pm on Tuesday while trying to land near the Robberg Nature Reserve in heavy fog.
The plane was believed to be a single-engine Pilatus PC-12. — Sapa