Baron 58 in Harare

[White Knight]

Just read in "Gulf news" (dated 19-10-03) about a Baron 58 gone down in Harare, having just taken off for Kariba.

Any ideas as to which one ?

[Metro man]

A LIGHT plane crashed in Harare’s Kuwadzana high-density suburb yesterday killing four people on the spot and seriously injuring three others.

A child of about three years, who was playing on a veranda of one of the houses, was also seriously injured and was taken to hospital.

The plane, a Beechcraft with the registration number Z-GPJ, crashed onto the roofs of two houses killing three of the four people on board – among them pilot Jones Gary Phillip – and a passer-by, who was pushing a pushcart.

A police spokesman said one of the passengers killed in the plane crash was Rennie Elizabeth Cathleen. The names of the other two could not be established at the time of going to print.

Eyewitnesses said they watched in horror as the small plane tried to land on a busy narrow tarmac in the high-density suburb before crushing into two houses nearby.

The cause of the crash could not be established but police said they suspected that the plane developed a technical fault and the pilot tried to land on the tarmac in the crowded high-density suburb.

However, fire brigade officers discussing on the sidelines, said the plane could have run out of fuel because if it had fuel it should have exploded on impact.

Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ) chief executive officer, Karikoga Kaseke, who was at the scene of the accident, said he would soon institute investigations to determine the cause of the fatal crush.


http://www.thestandard.co.zw/sections/front_reader.asp?st_id=2547

[Rhodie]

A very sad incident.

Gary Jones was a very safe and profficient pilot - the comment:

"However, fire brigade officers discussing on the sidelines, said the plane could have run out of fuel because if it had fuel it should have exploded on impact"

does not make any sense, as Gary had already turned back for Harare after losing one engine.

I have heard (rumours) of contaminated fuel, fuel theft / diluted fuel (additive) etc at Harare, non of which can or will be verified or confirmed by any official source.

My only answer would be to: BE AWARE

I doubt the "investigation" will lay blame on any third party...

GJ, ER and DH - R.I.P.

Rhodie