Gunship
23rd Sep 2002, 13:19
The LINK (http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/Gauteng/0,1113,2-7-829_1261473,00.html)
Erika Gibson
Pretoria - The owner of a Pretoria smallholding on Sunday managed to get the pilot of a Harvard aircraft that had crash-landed to safety, minutes before the plane's fuel tanks caught fire.
The veteran aircraft had been one of two which experienced difficulties at the Africa Aerospace and Defence 2002 air show at Waterkloof airbase in Centurion.
The second aircraft had to make an emergency landing just outside the airbase about 17:00 after losing altitude soon after take-off.
In a third setback, two parachutists were injured on Sunday - one seriously - when their show jump went wrong.
Carel Potgieter, a witness to the first crash, saw a Harvard flying low over his house.
"The aircraft missed my roof by a few metres. I could see the pilot and also that the propellor was not turning."
Potgieter lives next to the chicken farm where the aircraft crashed, reports Liela Magnus.
He heard tree branches snapping as the aircraft crashed through trees and a loud crack as it burst through power lines.
"It seemed the pilot tried to avoid the chicken coops. There was a sea of flames when the plane hit the ground."
Potgieter frantically searched for the pilot, Colonel Jeff Earle of Johannesburg, until he saw him sitting on his haunches near the burning wreck.
Potgieter said on Sunday: "We drove over in a bakkie to try and attract his attention. When he saw us, he came over. He was incoherent. Shortly afterwards, there were two explosions at the crash site."
Earle was treated at 1 Military Hospital at Thaba Tshwane for burns, cuts, a broken rib and admitted for observation overnight.
The second crash happened after the show had closed. The Harvard involved was part of the Flying Lions stunt flying team, owned by Andrea Menegelli of Johannesburg.
The two pilots on board were Dedi Rosenthal and Amit Lipschitz, part-time pilots who flew the aircraft to and from air shows. Both escaped unharmed.
Philip Weyers, who lives near the Smuts Museum in Irene, says he was standing on a koppie, watching the three Harvards flying in the direction of Lanseria Airport.
"One of them suddenly started losing altitude, veered away and made an emergency landing in the veld. The undercarriage came away and the wings were damaged."
In a parachute demonstration on Saturday, private SD Magidela was seriously injured when his parachute failed to open.
Tens of thousands saw him plunge to earth. He inexplicably failed to open his emergency parachute.
Magidela, of 44 Parachute Brigade in Tempe, Bloemfontein, was admitted to 1 Military Hospital in Thaba Tshwane with serious spinal injuries. A colleague, private TH Mdleleni, broke an ankle during the same exercise after a hard landing.
Despite the setbacks, the show - seen as the biggest of its kind in Africa - was declared a huge success. Show organisers earlier emphasised that strict security measures would be enforced to prevent accidents, such as in the Ukraine recently when an aircraft plunged into spectators.
Long-standing show commentator Brian Emmenis said he estimated 300 000 people attended the show.
Erika Gibson
Pretoria - The owner of a Pretoria smallholding on Sunday managed to get the pilot of a Harvard aircraft that had crash-landed to safety, minutes before the plane's fuel tanks caught fire.
The veteran aircraft had been one of two which experienced difficulties at the Africa Aerospace and Defence 2002 air show at Waterkloof airbase in Centurion.
The second aircraft had to make an emergency landing just outside the airbase about 17:00 after losing altitude soon after take-off.
In a third setback, two parachutists were injured on Sunday - one seriously - when their show jump went wrong.
Carel Potgieter, a witness to the first crash, saw a Harvard flying low over his house.
"The aircraft missed my roof by a few metres. I could see the pilot and also that the propellor was not turning."
Potgieter lives next to the chicken farm where the aircraft crashed, reports Liela Magnus.
He heard tree branches snapping as the aircraft crashed through trees and a loud crack as it burst through power lines.
"It seemed the pilot tried to avoid the chicken coops. There was a sea of flames when the plane hit the ground."
Potgieter frantically searched for the pilot, Colonel Jeff Earle of Johannesburg, until he saw him sitting on his haunches near the burning wreck.
Potgieter said on Sunday: "We drove over in a bakkie to try and attract his attention. When he saw us, he came over. He was incoherent. Shortly afterwards, there were two explosions at the crash site."
Earle was treated at 1 Military Hospital at Thaba Tshwane for burns, cuts, a broken rib and admitted for observation overnight.
The second crash happened after the show had closed. The Harvard involved was part of the Flying Lions stunt flying team, owned by Andrea Menegelli of Johannesburg.
The two pilots on board were Dedi Rosenthal and Amit Lipschitz, part-time pilots who flew the aircraft to and from air shows. Both escaped unharmed.
Philip Weyers, who lives near the Smuts Museum in Irene, says he was standing on a koppie, watching the three Harvards flying in the direction of Lanseria Airport.
"One of them suddenly started losing altitude, veered away and made an emergency landing in the veld. The undercarriage came away and the wings were damaged."
In a parachute demonstration on Saturday, private SD Magidela was seriously injured when his parachute failed to open.
Tens of thousands saw him plunge to earth. He inexplicably failed to open his emergency parachute.
Magidela, of 44 Parachute Brigade in Tempe, Bloemfontein, was admitted to 1 Military Hospital in Thaba Tshwane with serious spinal injuries. A colleague, private TH Mdleleni, broke an ankle during the same exercise after a hard landing.
Despite the setbacks, the show - seen as the biggest of its kind in Africa - was declared a huge success. Show organisers earlier emphasised that strict security measures would be enforced to prevent accidents, such as in the Ukraine recently when an aircraft plunged into spectators.
Long-standing show commentator Brian Emmenis said he estimated 300 000 people attended the show.