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Two pilots killed as their light aircraft crashes in Kinklebos, Eastern Cape
Two people died when their light aircraft crashed in Kinklebos on Saturday night, 25 June 2022, said Eastern Cape Police. Their aircraft crashed on a farm. “It is alleged that the pilots aged 25 and 33 years old left Dawid Stuurman Airport at about 18h15 last night en route to East London. However, they turned the Sling 2 aircraft around at Kenton-On-Sea and headed back towards Gqeberha. At about 20h07, communication with the aircraft was lost and at about 22h00, a SAPS Search and Rescue team including the diving unit and Gqeberha K9 unit were mobilised to search for the missing aircraft,” said Col Priscilla Naidu.
The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) also joined in the search. Ian Gray, NSRI Gqeberha duty controller said that at 21h20, the NSRI Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) were alerted by ARCC of a light aircraft overdue at a Gqeberha airfield during a flight from Gqeberha to Kenton-On-Sea and missing during the return leg from Kenton-On-Sea to Gqeberha. Port Elizabeth Air Traffic Control (ATC), Air Traffic Navigation Services (ATNS), SA Police Services and NSRI duty controllers assisted ARCC in initial investigations. The NSRI dispatched a rescue vehicle and crew and searched areas along the coastline and inland while NSRI duty controllers assisted in narrowing down the search area based on the last radar contact and flight plan of the aircraft. The SA Police Services, Police K9 Search and Rescue, EC Government Health EMS, Port Alfred volunteer medics, a Police Dive Unit, SA National Parks rangers and Cape Town SASAR (SA Search and Rescue) were activated. NSRI alerted Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC). In a search and rescue operation coordinated by ARCC and with Police on-scene command, NSRI dispatched our NSRI rescue vehicle and NSRI crew using their private vehicles and searched areas along the coastline and inland of the coastline while NSRI duty controllers assisted ARCC, PE ATC and ATNS to narrow down a search area based on the last radar contact and flight plan of the aircraft. Police, Police K9 Search and Rescue, Police divers, NSRI Gqeberha, Eastern Cape EMS, volunteer medics from Port Alfred, SA National Parks rangers and The Mountain Club of South Africa, involved in the search operation, searched through the night. During the early hours of the morning the search area was narrowed down to be about 10 kilometres North East of Gqeberha. “During the morning on Sunday, 26 June 2022, an SA Air Force, 15 Squadron Charlie Flight, BK117 helicopter, accompanied by Police and EC EMS, located the aircraft accident sight. Sadly both men onboard, located at the aircraft, were declared deceased by paramedics. The bodies of the deceased have been taken into the care of Government Health Forensic Pathology Services,” said Gray. Naidu said inquest dockets had been opened and the incident would be investigated by civil aviation authorities. Source: Times Live, NSRI |
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