Chopper bursts into flames on impact
Wed, 11 Apr 2007
Two people were injured when a helicopter crashed at La Mercy, north of Durban and burst into flames late on Tuesday afternoon.
The Starlight Aviation helicopter had two occupants, one an instructor and the other his trainee.
Inspector Troy Allison of the police's search and rescue unit said when the helicopter crashed it was engulfed in flames.
Another helicopter pilot spotted the wreckage and landed nearby to investigate.
Allison said the pilot then removed the instructor and the trainee from the burning wreckage.
The two were airlifted to St Augustine's hospital by an Air Mercy Service helicopter and the Netcare 911 rescue helicopter.
Netcare 911 spokesperson Chris Botha said the instructor was in a critical condition with serious burns and he described the trainee pilot as being in a serious condition.
The flames from the crash ignited a veld fire. Crews from the Durban metro fire department were extinguishing the blaze.
The names of the two people have not been released and police were awaiting for the Civil Aviation Authority to inspect the crash site.
The crash took place on what will eventually become the runaway of Durban's proposed King Shaka International Airport.
Sapa
Scary how these things happen in threes. Squirrel in JHB, R22 in JHB and now this.Hold thumbs for the 2 pilots. C1
