UPDATE: Gyrocopter pilot identified (VIDEO)
RANDBURG - A pilot has been killed after a gyrocopter crashed near a sports ground at Garden and Jan Smuts Avenue.
UPDATE: 9 November 4.27pm
The body of the pilot whose gyrocopter crashed near Old Parktonian Sports Club in Bordeaux on 6 November has been identified as Gerry Holmes (57).
Gauteng Police spokesperson Captain Tsekiso Mofokeng said the deceased’s brother had identified the body.
According to the Randburg Sun, the Department of Transport’s director of Accident and Incident Investigation, Sam Monareng said the pilot in a Gyro ZU-DNL and a friend in another aircraft took off from Panorama Airfield to meet up with other pilots at Eagle Creek near Lanseria.
Monareng said, “En route, above Northcliff Hill, the pilot in front turned slightly to see if Holmes was still behind him.
He said the other pilot said at that time, he was still flying behind him.”
Monareng explained that when the pilot arrived at Eagle Creek, he tried to contact Holmes on the radio but was unsuccessful.
“The aircraft was found near the Old Parktonian Sports Club, Holmes was fatally injured and the aircraft was destroyed,” said Monareng.
UPDATE: 6 November 2015, 7.29pm – Acting station commander for the Randburg Police Station, Andries Odendal, has confirmed that preliminary investigations indicate that it was two gyrocopters flying together, when one of them crashed. Odendal told the Gazette that police had come to this conclusion after interviewing witnesses of the accident.
UPDATE: 6 November 2015, 7pm –
Emergency services are now removing the body of the crash victim from the wreckage at the scene. Watch the footage below:
According to the Gazette’s news editor, Aimee McGill, who is on the scene – police officers were getting aggressive and told her if she continued to take photos, she would ‘regret it’.
A police officer on the scene told the Gazette police had identified the body of the victim, but were struggling to find a next of kins’ contact number. The officer said the deceased’s friend was at the scene earlier today and had said they had made plans for a weekend flight.
UPDATE: 5.03 PM 6 November – ER24 have confirmed a gyrocopter has crashed near a sports ground at the Garden and Jan Smuts Road intersection in Randburg, leaving one person dead.
ER24 paramedics, along with other services, arrived on scene and found the smoldering wreckage near the sports ground.
Russel Meiring spokesperson said “On assessment, paramedics found a body lying near the wreckage. Unfortunately the patient had already succumbed to their multiple, fatal injuries.” The patient was later declared dead by other services.
Click here for a list of Aviation failures in recent years
Meiring told the Gazette that it was unclear if the deceased was a male or female, because of the extent of the burns. He also confirmed that there were no passengers in the aircraft.
“An eyewitness later told paramedics that she had witness the aircraft apparently spin out of control. The cause of the incident is not yet known but local authorities were on scene for further investigations,” Meiring said.
Pathologists have begun an investigation into the crash, but are waiting for the South African Civil Aviation Authority to arrive on the scene.
Watch our exclusive footage from the crash below:
UPDATE: 4.44 PM 6 November – According to a person at the scene, the gyrocopter “came flying over very low and very fast.” The eyewitness told the Gazette that the plane burst into flames when it hit the grass.
News editor Aimee McGill is at the scene.
Initial report:According to Jacaranda FM, the body of the pilot was burnt beyond recognition. ER 24 paramedics are on the scene and a helicopter has just landed in the area.
Russell Strooh, an eyewitness to the crash told the Gazette that he heard the sounds of a motor in distress. “We heard a crunch and then saw the smoke,” he said.
#PlaneCrash ER24 says local authorities are on scene for further investigations.
— Jacaranda News (@JacaNews) November 6, 2015
#PlaneCrash ER24 says local authorities are on scene for further investigations.
— Gao (@Gao_Phala) November 6, 2015
#PlaneCrash JUST IN: A pilot has been killed after a microlight crashed near a sports ground at Garden & Jan Smuts Road in Randburg.
— Gao (@Gao_Phala) November 6, 2015
