Pilot, trainee killed in aircraft crash

A Johannesburg pilot and his trainee were killed when their aircraft crashed near Lanseria airport yesterday.

The two, whose names have not been released, were flying  a circuit when the aircraft,  a Piper Cherokee,   suddenly lost altitude and crashed in a field near the R512.

Lanseria airport spokesman  Claudette Vianello said the aircraft, a four-seater, was in flames by the time the airport's emergency response services reached the crash site.

She said the cause of the crash had not been established.

"The aircraft was from one of the flying schools at the airport. It is unknown whether it had just taken off or was preparing to land. What we do know is that it was flying  in a circuit around the airport," she said.

The Civil Aviation Authority has launched an investigation into the crash.