The condition of two pilots critically injured in a vintage aircraft crash near Pretoria has improved‚ albeit only slightly.
Ross Kelly‚ a former Qantas pilot‚ and Douglas Haywood‚ the captain of an Airbus A380‚ remain in hospital in Johannesburg after the crash on July 10‚ which claimed two lives and injured several people.
A three-minute video clip‚ taken by one of the passengers‚ shows the terrifying final moments of the aircraft’s descent before crashing just outside Wonderboom Airport.
The Australian reported on Wednesday that the condition of both pilots had improved.
“Ross remains in a coma‚ although it is no longer induced‚” said the Australian and International Pilots Association (AIPA) in an email sent to its members on Tuesday.
“Doug has periods of responding to stimuli. One report suggested he was able to smile at a joke. Like Ross‚ the full extent of his injuries is yet to be determined.”
The Australian reported that it had been a “long‚ tiring and stressful” few weeks for the men’s families‚ who were in South Africa.
Plans are in place to fly the men back to Australia after they are well enough to undertake the trip.
The aircraft had been acquired by Aviodrome‚ a Dutch aviation museum‚ and was due to be relocated to the Netherlands but crashed before it could make the journey.
The crash is currently under investigation by the South African Civil Aviation Authority.
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