Rescue teams locate second missing aircraft in KZN Midlands
The Department of Transport in KwaZulu-Natal has confirmed that rescue teams have located the second aircraft that went missing in the province on Wednesday.
Department spokesperson, Ndabezinhle Sibiya, said the aircraft was located just before 7.30am on Thursday.
“We got a report from Aeronautical Search and Rescue Co-ordination Centre and the SAPS Search and Rescue Unit indicating that they have found the second aircraft. Unfortunately the second pilot suffered fatal injuries,” he said.
IOL initially reported that search and rescue teams were called to the KZN Midlands area following the disappearance of two light aircrafts.
For the first incident, the Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre said it was alerted to a MayDay call by a light aircraft.
ARCC Chief of Operations, Gregory Critchley, said they alerted search and rescue teams in KZN to activate a search and rescue operation.
Critchley later confirmed that the first aircraft was located in Howick, and the pilot and sole occupant was found to have suffered fatal injuries.
According to the Accidents and Incidents Investigations Division, an arm of the South African Civil Aviation Authority, the aircraft had departed from the Secunda Airport in Mpumalanga and was due to land at the Margate Airport on the KZN South Coast.
A preliminary report will be published following the investigation.
seanne.rall@iol.co.za
IOL