DAR ES SALAAM - A light plane crashed in
western Tanzania on Saturday, killing two South Africans who had
been involved in last month's successful attempt to fly a
home-built aircraft from Cape Town to Cairo, officials said.
The crashed Sling plane, which entered Tanzanian airspace
from Uganda en route to Malawi, made a distress signal about
engine failure before disappearing from radar, according to the
Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority (TCAA).
"The pilot and passenger, both South African citizens, were
killed in the plane crash that occurred shortly after take off
from Tabora airport at around 7:30 am," Sikonge district
commissioner Peres Magiri told ITV television station.
The plane was destroyed by fire after the crash and only the
engine and some other parts were recovered. It was owned by a
South African organisation known as U-Dream Global.
On the group's Facebook account, it said the Tanzanian
accident involved the flight support aircraft for the Cape to
Cairo Challenge and that project directors, Des Werner and
Werner Froneman lost their lives. No one else was involved in
the accident, U-Dream Global said.
South Africa's Department of International Relations and
Cooperation said it has activated its consular services to
support affected families.
U-Dream Global, made international headlines in June when a
group of students successfully built a four-seater Sling
aircraft and then flew it from Cape Town to Cairo in July.
On its website, U-Dream Global is described as a
not-for-profit organisation founded by teen pilot and
motivational speaker Megan Werner in 2018