One dead as light aircraft crashes near Joburg sports club

A light microlight plane that crashed on Friday afternoon was still smoldering after it exploded.

The remains of the badly burnt plane was nestled amongst trees in a small valley near the Old Parks Bowls club in Blairgrowie near Randburg, Johannesburg.

story_article_left1

The body of the pilot was near the wreckage.

Russell Strooh said he heard an engine in distress and looked up and saw the plane coming down.

Strooh added that when he went to the scene he saw the plane had crashed into an embankment.

“ It wasn’t trying to crash land… there is no way it came in at  a 45 degree angle.”

According to ER24, the pilot had already succumbed to their multiple, fatal injuries by the time paramedics and other services arrived at the scene.

Another eyewitness later told paramedics that she had witness the aircraft aparently spin out of control.

Police at the scene said the civil aviation authority was on it's way.

Meanwhile in Port Elizabeth earlier on Friday, police responded to a crash of a motorised glider in the Fitchet corner area. The pilot reportedly escape unharmed.

According to Algoa FM, the pilot took off at PE Airport at around 11.15 on a test flight in an X-294 Motorglider. Rego Burger said during a test flight programme he had instantaneous oil pressure failure which, leading to engine failure and a cabin fire. He was able to glide the plane to a nearby field and escaped the burning plane.

full_story_image_hleft1