George, South Africa – A light aircraft crash in George on Saturday morning left a pilot and passenger with only minor injuries after what investigators believe was a double engine failure.
The Rockwell 500S, registered ZS-IZN, went down about 15 kilometres from George Airport, with witnesses reporting that the aircraft came to rest in a cemetery near Thembalethu township. The aircraft had departed from Vereeniging Airport earlier that day with two people on board.
Garden Route District Municipality fire chief Deon Stoffels confirmed that the occupants, the pilot and a passenger, were treated at a nearby hospital. “Miraculously, both escaped with minor injuries,” he said.
The South African Civil Aviation Authority’s Accident and Incident Investigations Division (AIID) spokesperson, Sisa Majola, said the authority has begun probing the accident and will release a preliminary report within 30 days.
The accident has renewed attention on aviation safety in the region, as it comes just a week after another high-profile incident involving a missing pilot in KwaZulu-Natal.
Search teams are still scouring the Durban coastline for 61-year-old Andrew Blackwood-Murray, whose Extra 300 aircraft crashed into the sea during an airshow. Video footage captured the aerobatic plane looping before plunging into the water.
The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) confirmed that private companies and divers are assisting in the search. Spokesperson Craig Lambinon said advanced technology is being deployed to aid recovery efforts, adding that weather and sea conditions have remained favourable.
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