Transport minister calls for probe into light aircraft crashes
Minister of Transport Dipuo Peters on Thursday directed the South Africa Civil Aviation Authority to expedite investigations into the causes of the small aircraft crashes that took place in the past two days.
The minister’s directive comes after two men survived when their small aircraft crashed in a veld in Midrand on Wednesday, the same day a man was killed when his light aircraft crashed in a game reserve in Herbertsdale, near Mossel Bay, in the Western Cape.
On Thursday another small plane crashed in Pretoria, shortly after take off from Kitty Hawk Airfield, killing one of the two occupants.
“The Civil Aviation Branch of the Department of Transport together with the Accident and Incident Investigation Division of the SA Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) have dispatched a team of investigators to determine the cause of the crash,” said Peters in a statement.
She called for a thorough investigation to determine the exact cause of the crashes and for all the role players in the investigation to work together to bring the investigations to a speedy completion.
Peters said the investigation should include examining the conduct, mental fitness of the pilots as well as the verification of their qualifications to fly the aircraft.
“Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers are being spared for every single person that is affected by this unfortunate crash”, said Peters.
She reiterated the Department of Transport’s commitment to ensuring safety in all modes of transport, including air, road, rail and sea transportation at all times.