Barberton – The wreckage of a Cessna 206 aircraft that went missing on Thursday, October 16, has been located in the remote Lebombo mountain range near the Barberton Makhonjwa World Heritage Site. Tragically, the pilot, 30-year-old Johann Marx, was declared deceased at the scene.
Marx was flying solo from King Mswati III International Airport in Eswatini to Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport in South Africa when the aircraft lost signal at 13:37, just 14 minutes after take-off.
Search efforts began immediately after authorities detected a signal from Marx’s iPhone in the mountainous region bordering Eswatini and South Africa. The signal helped narrow the search area to within one kilometre, guiding teams from Search and Rescue South Africa (SARZA), the Ehlanzeni Diving Unit, and the K9 Police Unit.
Captain Pottie Potgieter from the Ehlanzeni Diving Unit explained that heavy mist and rugged terrain had slowed progress, but clearer weather on Saturday allowed helicopters and additional aerial teams from Kishugu Aviation, Netcare HEMS, and Fidelity Security Services to join the operation. “There are also seven teams on the ground assisting with the search,” he said.
Journalist Gia Radnai from Lowvelder News, reporting from the site, confirmed the breakthrough: “We are at the exact mountain where they tracked the iPhone of the missing pilot. Wreckage has now been located.”
The accident scene has been handed over to the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the Civil Aviation Authority for further investigation, bringing an end to a multi-day, multi-agency search operation across the challenging terrain of the Lebombo mountains.
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