Timeline of the crash
17 August 2011 - 02:30 By Charl du Plessis
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Rescue members scrutinise a map of the area near Tzaneen, in Limpopo, during the search for the two missing planes. File photo.
Image: HALDEN KROG
- Sunday August 14 10.20am: The two P166 Albatross aircraft, piloted by Brian Gruar and Peter Gildenhuys, take off from the Tarantaal Air Show, near Tzaneen, bound for Rand Airport in Germiston, Gauteng.
- 12.30pm: Authorities at Rand Airport realise that the planes are missing and contact disaster management services in Tzaneen.
- 1.30pm: The planes, carrying 13 people in total, are reported missing. Shortly afterwards, six helicopters begin combing the mountains around Tzaneen for wreckage.
- 6pm: The search is called off because of bad weather.
- Monday, August 15 6.30am: Two ground rescue teams of about 50 people, from the Drakensberg Mountain Rescue Club, Limpopo police's search-and-rescue unit and emergency services, begin searching in four designated areas. Heavy weather prevents the helicopters from taking off.
- The search is co-ordinated from a joint operations centre at the Greater Mopani Disaster Management Centre in Tzaneen. Trauma counselling is set up for families at Rand Airport.
- 1.30pm: The weather finally clears enough for five helicopters, including an air force Oryx, to resume the search. The helicopters drop off rescue teams in areas suggested by leads from the public. The families are said to have left Rand Airport for Tzaneen.
- 6pm: After a fruitless search, the helicopters are recalled. A debriefing follows and plans are made for the following day's search. Heavy weather is forecast for the next day. Later, a Gauteng department of health and social development forensic pathology services truck arrives at the joint operations centre in Tzaneen.
- Tuesday, August 16 6.30am: Rescue teams and helicopters resume the search.
- 8.15am: One of the helicopters locates the wreckage of the two aircraft at the Lekgalameetse mountain in Maake, about 40km from Tzaneen.
- 9am: The victims' families are given counselling at a nearby hotel. Police and Civil Aviation Authority officials begin removing bodies and investigating the crash.
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