Missing chopper found after seven years
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Missing chopper found after seven years
This just in:
A wreckage believed to be of a helicopter that went missing seven years ago was found in a forest near Knysna in the Southern Cape, the Civil Aviation Authority said on Saturday. Spokeswoman Phindiwe Gwebu said the wreckage was found with two human remains still strapped into the seats. Another body was found outside the helicopter. "When we looked at our records we found that it might have been a helicopter that went missing in March 1999 with three people, including the pilot." She said, according to their records, the occupants were on a leisure trip to Knysna from Port Elizabeth. The search team at the time had believed that the helicopter crashed into the sea. "On Friday we were notified of a helicopter that was found in the forest. Because we could not find a flight yesterday our investigators, together with pathologists, only flew there this (Saturday) morning." Gwebu said they would release more details when the investigation was completed. SABC news reported that the wreckage matched that of a green Belljet Ranger that crashed in March 1991. On board were Pretoria businessman and pilot Ian MacFarlane, 55, his wife Francis and his father Boyd, 85. The trio had been on their way to a bed and breakfast lodge in Hoekwil when they crashed between Knysna and Willowmore, the report said.
