Durban - A Netcare 911 helicopter plummeted into open veld in Winterton, northern KZN after the craft’s tail-end broke away from the fuselage mid-air, and burst into flames on impact on Thursday.
Rescue personnel later found the charred remains of four of the helicopter’s occupants, while a fifth person, who was thrown from the craft, was also pronounced dead at the crash scene.
Dr Kgopotso Rudolph Mononyane, a cardiothoracic surgeon, was among the deceased.
Earlier that day, he had teamed up with other medics and attempted to resuscitate Minister in Presidency, Jackson Mthembu, before he died from Covid-19-related complications.
Mononyane, Dr Siyabonga Mahlangu, nurse Mpho Xaba, paramedic Sinjin Joshua Farrance and pilot Mark Stoxreiter, who worked for National Airways Corporation, were travelling to a hospital in Hillcrest, when they crashed at around 1.20pm.
Freddie Hallgreen, the chief of fire, emergency services and disaster management in the Okhahlamba municipality, was the first of the emergency services personnel to arrive at the scene.
“According to three eyewitnesses, the helicopter was flying about 200 feet from the ground when it broke up in mid-air.
“That sounds about right because helicopters usually travel anywhere between 200 and 500 feet from the ground,” said Hallgreen.
He said the helicopter was engulfed in flames and by the time their fire trucks got to the scene, they only had to douse the flames.
Hallgreen said he was part of a big group search over the past two days, which was headed by members of the South African Civil Aviation Authority, looking for clues and parts.
“We have located all the blades and they are all in different stages of disintegration. We also had a big search for the tail rotor. That couldn’t have led to the crash as some were speculating as we found it intact.”
Hallgreen said the flight-path the ill-fated Netcare helicopter was on, was a common route used by helicopters flying between Johannesburg and Durban.
The helicopter crashed on the Kopleegte farm near the Winterton-colenso offramp, about 500m from the busy N3 freeway.
The thick smell of paraffin still hung in the air when some of Stoxreiter’s former colleagues visited the crash site yesterday.
Carmen Stone and Steve Writing, both Howick residents, said they had known Stoxreiter for many years, and their association with him dated back to the days when they worked at the Kwazulu-natal Fire Protection Association.
Stone, a seasoned pilot and a firefighter, said they were devastated after losing a “kind and skilful professional”.
“Mark did a season of fire fighting with us before moving to Johannesburg and worked as a Netcare 911 as a pilot for many years,” Stone said.
Writing, also a pilot said he would also miss his former colleague (Stoxreiter) dearly.
He said they drove to the scene to “get closure” because Mark was a good and experienced pilot who was familiar with handling difficult situations.
“It is sad to lose professional people like doctors, pilots and others. They undergo intensive training for years to improve their skills. It will never be easy to fill the void left behind.”
A nearby livestock farmer, Marietjie Warden, and her friend Eric Freshwater said they were enjoying a relaxed day when the “big bang” drew them outside.
“They died instantly after landing forcefully on the ground. We called emergency services for medical assistance,” said Freshwater.
Kabelo Ledwaba spokesperson at the South African Civil Aviation Authority said: “Since the accident happened, the team of aircraft accident and incident investigators have been at the site on a daily basis collecting evidence, which will help in determining the cause of the accident.”