A UCT professor died and his daughter was seriously injured when their two-seater aircraft crashed into an electricity pole after apparent engine problems on Friday morning.
George Lindsey, 57, of Newlands, who had been piloting the locally produced Jabiru, died on the scene while his daughter, Clare Lindsey, 23, was taken to Vincent Pallotti Hospital with a broken left leg.
Lindsey was a professor in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology at UCT.
The tiny aircraft landed on its roof after the crash.
The two had taken off from the Morningstar airstrip off the N7, close to Melkbosstrand, at about 8.15am on Friday, but headed straight to Fisantekraal to refuel.
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A pilot flying nearby, who preferred not to be named, said there was speculation that the Jabiru had run out of fuel.
He said the aircraft was not far from the Fisantekraal airstrip and was flying over an open field when Lindsey hit the wooden electricity pole dead centre.
Vernon Coyne, associate professor and head of the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, said Lindsey had worked at UCT for about 20 years.
He said he had only recently got his pilot's licence. Lindsey taught biochemistry and had been promoted to full professor at the beginning of the year.
He said news of the crash and Lindsey's death had come as a shock.
Police spokesperson Captain Gerhard Niemand said it was possible the engine had failed but that the Civil Aviation Authority would investigate the crash.
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This article was originally published on page 4 of Cape Argus on May 03, 2008
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