Three killed in light aircraft crash in KZN
The Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre has confirmed the deaths of all three people aboard a missing light aircraft in KwaZulu-Natal.
Student pilot Nqobile Biyela and two passengers went missing after taking off from Virginia Airport on Sunday afternoon.
The alarm was raised when it did not reach its alternate destination.
The aircraft was last tracked flying over Ladysmith heading south towards either Pietermaritzburg or Greytown.
The identities of the other two occupants have not been released yet.
The Transport and Human Settlement Department in KZN expressed condolences to the families of the deceased passengers and the student pilot.
“Losing such a young, great leader with a promising career in the aviation industry, under such circumstances, is not only tragic but devastating,” MEC for Transport and Human Settlements Siboniso Duma said.
“Officials from my office and Ayanda Msweli, the country’s leading traffic anchor, are in touch with the Biyela family, and we will locate other families to express our condolences.”
The South African Police Service's Accident and Incident Investigation Division and the South African Civil Aviation Authority will conduct the official investigation into the cause of the crash.
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