Wendy .pieterse123 Thank you for YOUR post and please also accept my condolences for your and your relatives tragic loss. It may not be much, if any, consolation but D at least managed to fulfill a dream even if for only a short time. I'm sure he's flying his dream 'plane across those great airways in heaven. When accidents like this happen I always think "there but for the grace of God go I" and I remember other much more experienced pilots than I, such as NM and PC (to name just two of the many), who "bought it." Just serves to remind us all of our mortality and the unforgiving nature of the profession we chose to make our lives in. Fly safe everyone.

Propellerpilot, do you have copyrights on your reply on this forum? The Namibian Sun just copied it and used it as it's headlines in todays paper.

Eros is a time-bomb for controllers and pilots.tick tick tick boooom.What will happen next?

Interesting, how a newspaper goes on printing someones dead-reckoning speculations-in this case mine, gathered from pilot talk. I am not an investigator - I was just posting a probable logical chain of events without dramatic hype. I do not read this tabloid myself.

Why is Eros a ticking timebomb? There are airports all around the world with different hazards and procedures for safety and noise abatement - those are usually published in the AIP. Take a look at Jeppesen Bottlang Airfield Manual or AIP-VFR for European Airfields, great stuff really-why not have something like it in Southern Africa? "Airfields Directory" helps, but is not really compareable because it is not official. Probably all a question of money.

City Airports are a great thing and I think it a great loss if the general public turn against these facilities.

However no regulations will help, if a aircraft will not fly by the laws of physics in certain conditions - if human error is the cause or mechanical failure. Fortunatly longterm statistics in gerneral are in favour and I think it will remain a rare occurence- at least in my subjective view. Human error can be avoided by training and by the operators by incresing pilot awareness. Investing in this will be worthwhile in the longterm as the costs of relocating to Windhoek International (in this case) or the closing of the companies with a poor safetyrecord would be a lot more costly for everyone involved. In fact there might be an increase in casulties on the road that leads to the international Airport due to an increase in traffic.

Look ahead and avoid socalled short term solutions that do not effectuate desired results.

An accurately compiled and calculated mass and balance sheet for each flight would probably be a good start in making the operation safer.

Speculation and hind sight are wonderful things.....especially when it involves the less fortunate!!

Maybe the facts should do the talking !!

The pilot who was PIC was better know in Namibia as "Leeu" and was a damn good pilot as I'v know because I'v been flying with him for some years..YES the runway was to short and YES it was way to hot and YES he was very heavy...but I want to bring anonther point up..being afterward as the crashsite, something also strike me that another pilot told me..The tree that the horizontal-stabelizer got stuck in were not big at-all infact the A/C hit the ground FULL power and with that speed there's no way that stabelizer could get broken off and stuck in that smal tree...I CAN AND HOPE IM WRONG but what if with the big wind down drafts something broke off or nearly(stabelizer) BEFORE the crash. Leaving the pilot helpless...

As I could see at the site the A/C first slighty nicked a lampost and then the ground BUT the angle form the lamppost to the ground was STEEP...so he nose-dived down..anybody would have pulled up and try to keep the nose from the ground...exept if it was imposible...

I AM NO ACCIDENT EXPERT AND DONT KNOW ALL THE FACTS..

My point is that some A/C are not in good condition and by having over 1000hours on C210 in Nambia I know the miss-use and pulling G's are done almost every day...what if were busy setting a timebom for the next pilot...

what if in the next wing-over or hi G turn something breaks...
its not a joke anymore...

JUST A "GEDAGTE" FOR THE DAY...

Leeu was one kickass pilot!!!

Vrystaat, any bid of information will help. Why don't you contact Ericsson at 2088411 and provide him with that information, even if you're not an expert.

Vrystaat, taking what you say into account - just my thoughts:

yes he was going at full power, but that does not mean, that he was fast - you know how a 210 flies on the wrong side of the drag curve and if she doesn't want to fly due to weight and density altitude - what can you do ? If you start pulling like you said anybody would, you will just end up in a stall. The only way to get out of the mess is lowering the nose to get speed, but that too was probably not possible due to the terrain. Maybe he was in a stall while hitting the lamppost and the tree, dropping steeply into the from there ground or what do you think ?

The company and its sister company have been suspended from operation until further notice. Read that in the news a few days ago.

propellerpilot, what you are saying are also very true and if he nicked the lamppost with it tale it would cause a nose down movement..the only thing that is bordering me bigtime is the fact that the horizontal stabelizer got left behind en a tree which is not very big nor very stong...

yup the companies were closed down but got word from one of the pilots that they are back up and running from today and back to the good old sossus flights

Wow this thread still alive??? how boring!!! that pilot sorry to say was negligent to take off from a short runway like most prop a/c pilots and your companies maintenance is utterly poor....and what i find even worse is that you all trying to copy south africa with incidents though sadly trying to copy will get you in trouble. Oh and another thing you namibian pilots like your south african mates should stop bitching and start doing your job with a smile like the cabin crew and the other staff who have it the same and sadly worse than you. STOP BITCHING OR QUIT!!!!!

Touch of dysmenorrhoea there, princess?

how did you know Rust??? you ate all the iron thats why I have been bleeding for 5 days and still didnt die...seems i still have some time left to get in ya knickers and piss ya off and have some fun....

Have to try harder than that then...

South African, Namibian, British, American, I can go on, all skimp on maintenance, but when the dung hits the fan, the AME/AMO are always the aholes. Get a life.

4HP, get rid of this guy!!

oh ex jet....does your name mean you dont fly jets anymore?? shame old age sorry to say but cant afford to have granpas flying big jets stick too prop planes lovaboy

Ahhh...alpha99....buddy, I told you before about mixing medicine with drink!!!! Its true what they say thou.....where ever you are in the world, there will always be an arsehole....or maybe your just into them...???

Now you may wonder why I should be so disrespectful to you, but you see....there was no respect on your part when you posted your written diahoera on here, in full view of friends and relatives of the pilot and pax.
If you want to stir the sh** go and do it on a less sensitive thread you tosser...

If this guy (alpha whatever) is at the dawn of his aviation career (his reference to grandpas), someone remind him how small this business is lest he finds himself flying a kite

I feel sure the Mods will dump him sooner than later

Guys posters like Alpha are sad geeks who unfortunately thrive on this stuff. Best way to treat them is to continue a discussion as if they weren't there.

Whatever the outcome it's sad to hear of another young pilot fatally injured at this stage of their career. May he and the passengers on board rest in peace.

Let's hope a proper investigation is done, and action taken as necessary.