The pilot of a small aircraft died on Saturday in Port Elizabeth after the Piper Cherokee aircraft he was flying crashed shortly after take-off from the Port Elizabeth airport.
“We can confirm that a Piper Cherokee leased by 43 Airschool to another esteemed flight school had a fatal accident in which a foreign student died,” Attie Niemann, 43 Airschool chief executive, said in a statement.
Piper Cherokee was leased to the AVIC International Flight Training Academy (Aifa), which is based in Oudtshoorn.
“The South African Civil Aviation Authority has been informed and is on the scene as per protocol doing a investigation to establish the possible cause of this accident,” Niemann added.
“Currently the cause is not know other that that the aircraft crashed shortly after take-off with one student pilot onboard fairly close to the runway.The aircraft did burn and tragically the student did not survive the accident,” he said.
“Understandably there is a lot of concern from our students and parents or loved ones but we can inform parents and families that it was not a student or staff member from 43 that was involved. This however does not detract from the fact that it is a tragedy that someone died and our thoughts are with all those affected,” Niemann added.
Aifa chief executive Willem Marais confirmed in a statement that on Saturday at 1:15 pm a PA28 aircraft, registration ZS-FHG, crashed.
“The aircraft was operated by Aifa on a lease from 43 Airschool,” Marais added.
“There was one person on board, being the pilot in command and sadly he was fatally injured. The pilot held a South African private pilot licence and was in the hour building (solo proficiency) stage of his commercial pilot training. The pilot was a Chinese citizen with a study permit for South Africa,” Marais added.
“The management and staff of Aifa would like to extend our deepest sympathy to the family and friends of the pilot involved,” he said. - Staff Reporter