Aeroplane down in Malawi

[Millski]

Plane down in Africa 8 aussie believed perished, on sky news
RIP

[sinala1]

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,21348097-5003402,00.html

Eight Australians feared dead in Malawi
March 08, 2007 06:23pm

A PRIVATE plane carrying eight Australian engineers has crashed in Malawi and it is believed all on board have died.

The plane has crashed near the town of Dowa , 40km outside the Malawian capital Lilongwe.

The engineers are said to have been on their way to a mine site more than 300km away where Australian company Paladin is establishing a mine.

"There are no signs of survivors," a police spokesman has been quoted as saying.


:( RIP

[vanraider]

Spoke to my friends in Malawi and the following happened:

The Seneca carrying a pilot and 1 pax was on a charter from Lilongwe to Karonga.
Around Kasungu one of the engines failed and the pilot elected to go back to Lilongwe. On the way back, the second engine failed. He put the aircraft in a maize field where he unfortunately hit a tree.
Both the pilot and pax are dead. May they rest in peace and my deepest condolence to pilot's wife as i knew them well.

vanraider

[AfricanEagle]

http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/africa-crash-claims-aussie-executive/2007/03/08/1173166889138.html

[rodmur]

Sydney Herald
An Australian man working for a Perth-based mining company has been killed in a plane crash in the southern African country of Malawi.

The man has been identified as a senior executive of uranium miner Paladin Resources.

Garnet Halliday, 50, died alongside the South African pilot of a light aircraft which crashed near the town of Dowa, about 40km north-west of the capital Lilongwe, Paladin said.

Mr Halliday was the Perth-based company's executive general manager for operations and development.
Mr Halliday, who was married, was born in Adelaide and had been with Paladin since 2004.

"Garnet was a dear friend to all of us and his death is a great personal loss,'' Paladin chairman Doug Crabb said in a statement on Thursday night.

"Paladin will seek an open and thorough investigation and until the full facts concerning the crash are known, it is inappropriate to make further comment,'' Mr Crabb said.

The pilot killed in the crash was Frank van-Veuren, principal of Executive Air Charter.

Nobody else was on the plane.
It is understood the pair were on their way to a mine site in Karonga, about 400km north of the capital Lilongwe, where Paladin Resources is establishing its Kayelekera uranium project.

Mr Crabb said Mr Halliday had played a key role in developing a mine in Namibia and had been leading the company's development preparing for construction of the Kayelekera mine.

"On behalf of all directors and staff of the company, I extend our deepest sympathy to Garnet's wife Deborah and his family,'' he said.

Earlier reports quoting Malawi police said eight Australian engineers had been killed in the crash.

An official at Malawi's department of civil aviation confirmed the crash but without giving details of casualties.

"I can confirm that a plane hired by Paladin Africa crashed this morning. Our officers have rushed to the scene for preliminary investigations,'' the spokesman, O Tambo, said.

[B Sousa]

Three Senecas in the last month, not good.

"one of the engines failed and the pilot elected to go back to Lilongwe. On the way back, the second engine failed. He put the aircraft in a maize field where he unfortunately hit a tree. "

Sends up a flag over fuel contamination or lack of.........

[Balmy]

Mmmmmyes......2 donkeys quit.....rather unusual (even for a sneaker) my guess would be BSous called it right.

[SpootNICK]

FACT:

Malawi (and indead most of Africa) has had an Avgas shortage for years. When batches are shipped into the interior of the continent they will stand in storage for months at a time. Should these barrels be exposed to the elements, my guess is that they would become contaminated. So yes, I agree. Two donkeys dont normally croak on the same flight unless there was indeed something wrong with the fuel.

Still - I think we should let the accident investigators have the final say.

SN

[MungoP]

It's been a long established fact that you don't need to lose both engines to come to grief in a light twin.... a/c weight... OAT.. It's all so familiar and as always... tragic.. Sounds like some good people have been lost. .. Condolences to those that knew them.

[B Sousa]

"Thankgod SA is sending a investigation team"

Whoa dont get all warm and fuzzy just yet. Its a matter of WHO will they send. Hoping we dont hear that one of these rocket scientists examines the dark innards of the Bowser with his Zippo.

[VarigMD11]

My sincerest condolences to Franks family. Frank will be missed as he was a great aviator. What a sad day for Malawian aviation. Now the outlook on flight training looks a little less bright in Lilongwe when one of its biggest characters is gone...

[Gerry FFP]

Thousands k away from lilongwe, i am still remember you, Franck. As I am typing, i am remenbering you at the airport. I'll keep your smile in mind and your typical phrases as well. I really enjoyed flying with you and i keep your laugh in mind.


My sincerest condolences to Franck's Family, and specially to Claudia

[Rich Pitch Power]

My condolences to Claudia and those who knew Frank. What a great guy. I enjoyed flying with you just on a year ago and learn't so much from you. I have so many fond memories of what we did together.

Rest in Peace.

[the wizard of auz]

From what I saw at the site, it dosent look like he tried to forceland it. The impact area is small, and its quite obvious that he hit the sod with alot of speed.
single engine failure and then below Vmca would leave that sort of result.
Sad event.