From the CAA website -
MEDIA STATEMENT
Durban, Thursday 24 September 2009.
An SA Airlink Jetstream 41 Turboprop aircraft, carrying 3 passengers, experienced engine
problems after take off from Durban International Airport this morning. The aircraft was
unable to maintain altitude and the crew attempted to land on a sports field of a local
school at a suburb just 3km north east of the airport. The aircraft had diverted from
Pietermaritzburg on Wednesday evening due to bad weather.
The flight being undertaken was a positioning flight back to Pietermaritzburg with no
paying passengers onboard. The aircraft impacted a concrete fence which caused
damage to the cockpit, severely injuring the two pilots. The flight attendant on board was
also taken to hospital with suspected back or neck injuries. A municipal worker on the
ground was also injured by the aircraft and was taken to hospital. Fortunately, no fire
erupted as a result of the crash, even though the aircraft has been extensively damaged.
Rescue and firefighting teams were on the scene within minutes, but it took two and a half
hours to extract the last crewmember from the cockpit, without causing further injuries.
Senior representatives from the Civil Aviation Authority and the Department of Transport
who happened to be in Durban, were on the scene within 30 minutes and an accident
investigation team was also dispatched from Johannesburg.
The SA Police Services responsible for securing the wreckage quickly cordoned off the
area, to ensure that evidence critical to the accident investigation would not be tempered
with by those at the scene.
A preliminary accident report will be released in due course by the Chief Investigator.
- ends -
SA Civil Aviation Authority
Private Bag X73
Halfway House
1685
Tel: (011) 545 1000
Fax: (011) 545 1201
Website:
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