Britten-Norman Islander missing in Mpumalanga?!
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Plane missing in Mpumalanga
05/10/2008 22:06 - (SA)
Buks Viljoen, Beeld
Nelspruit - A plane with nine people on board has gone missing in Mpumalanga. A huge search-and-rescue operation has been launched in the mountainous area near Barberton. Bad weather and thick mist are hampering the search. The plane is believed to be a twin-engine Britten-Norman Islander. A farmer in the Barberton valley, Mike van Schalkwyk, said on Sunday he had heard a plane flying low over his house. Shortly after that, he heard an explosion. The plane had taken off from Nelspruit's Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (KMIA) at 14:00, headed for Bloemfontein. The aircraft disappeared off the radar a short while later.
It is believed the plane may have crashed into Tafelkop, a mountain near Barberton. Rowan Torr, KMIA's operations manager, confirmned that a search was under way. He said a military Oryx helicopter from Hoedspruit was taking part in the search by police and members of the Air Mercy Services in Nelspruit. A team of Sasar mountaineers would be joining the search on Monday morning, Torr said.
05/10/2008 22:06 - (SA)
Buks Viljoen, Beeld
Nelspruit - A plane with nine people on board has gone missing in Mpumalanga. A huge search-and-rescue operation has been launched in the mountainous area near Barberton. Bad weather and thick mist are hampering the search. The plane is believed to be a twin-engine Britten-Norman Islander. A farmer in the Barberton valley, Mike van Schalkwyk, said on Sunday he had heard a plane flying low over his house. Shortly after that, he heard an explosion. The plane had taken off from Nelspruit's Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (KMIA) at 14:00, headed for Bloemfontein. The aircraft disappeared off the radar a short while later.
It is believed the plane may have crashed into Tafelkop, a mountain near Barberton. Rowan Torr, KMIA's operations manager, confirmned that a search was under way. He said a military Oryx helicopter from Hoedspruit was taking part in the search by police and members of the Air Mercy Services in Nelspruit. A team of Sasar mountaineers would be joining the search on Monday morning, Torr said.
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Wouldn't count on it. Weather was attrocious, lots of high hills - doesn't take a rocket scientist...
Its time someone came up with a new way to remove themselves from the gene pool. CFIT is so overdone, so boring. Especially when done by VFR pilots in shayte weather.
Its time someone came up with a new way to remove themselves from the gene pool. CFIT is so overdone, so boring. Especially when done by VFR pilots in shayte weather.
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plane crash
i heard on the news that an aerie went down around the Barberton area yesterday (Sunday 5 October) it was from FAKN to FABL with 9 people on board.
does anyone have any further info?
does anyone have any further info?
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Wreckage found!
Wreckage of missing plane found
06/10/2008 15:34 - (SA)
Buks Viljoen, Beeld
Nelspruit - The wreckage has been found of the plane with nine people on board which went missing near Barberton on Sunday.
There were no survivors, Beeld reports.
Fifteen three-man teams, assisted by mountaineers from Cape Town and Johannesburg, took part in Monday morning's search. Four helicopters, two of them from the Air Force, were also involved.
The wreckage was found after new information about where the plane had been seen, was received.
- Beeld
06/10/2008 15:34 - (SA)
Buks Viljoen, Beeld
Nelspruit - The wreckage has been found of the plane with nine people on board which went missing near Barberton on Sunday.
There were no survivors, Beeld reports.
Fifteen three-man teams, assisted by mountaineers from Cape Town and Johannesburg, took part in Monday morning's search. Four helicopters, two of them from the Air Force, were also involved.
The wreckage was found after new information about where the plane had been seen, was received.
- Beeld
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With so many accidents, one does wonder why there are so many pilots out there taking chances. We are all fully aware of the possible outcome, and more often than not, you turn around in mid flight and wish you have never taken off. Sadly, by that stage, it is too late to start making the correct decisions, and in many cases, the innocent people pay a very big price. It is as simple as refusing to fly an aircraft that is not airworthy, or flying in weather that the aircraft is not equipped for. Another consideration is your personal ability to handle the flying in these sort of conditions.
Old pilot once told me, "You don't get old, bold pilots". We have all heard this so many times, yet tragedies like this have become a part of every day life in general aviation through out this continent. My only question is, WHY?
Condolences to the families and friends.
Old pilot once told me, "You don't get old, bold pilots". We have all heard this so many times, yet tragedies like this have become a part of every day life in general aviation through out this continent. My only question is, WHY?
Condolences to the families and friends.
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I read in a German news report, there were at least 4 Children on board 
Some collegues from SA seem to have no sense of responsibilty, rather they make international headlines. If the conditions where like stated here, where did all the regulations and airmanship that the pilot spent studying for months on end to get his license disappear to ? So unprofessional.
Some collegues from SA seem to have no sense of responsibilty, rather they make international headlines. If the conditions where like stated here, where did all the regulations and airmanship that the pilot spent studying for months on end to get his license disappear to ? So unprofessional.
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The possibility of an emergency springs to my mind. Speculation that maybe a failure of some kind could have contributed to the chain of events that so often lead to such outcomes. The weather clearly being a large contributing factor.
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The wx was bad....but folks lets remember. There may or may not have been a technical failure. Any of a number of things could have caused a chain of events that led to this unfortunate crash. And while I am equally sad at the loss of life I dont think it is fair to be calling the pilot unprofessional, and taking cheap shots.
Every time a pilot goes in a little bit of us goes in with him.
I never knew the pilot but Im sure he was just as passionate as anyone of us about his job.
R.I.P fellow aviator.
Every time a pilot goes in a little bit of us goes in with him.
I never knew the pilot but Im sure he was just as passionate as anyone of us about his job.
R.I.P fellow aviator.
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Takes me back to when I was a young pilot and makes one realise how fortunate many of us were to get away by not having to learn the hard way how flying an aeropoplane can bite., and I don't mean that arogantly at all. I agree with rogue, a little bit of us goes up every time a fellow aviator takes to the skies.All our thoughts to the families.
