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Sunday Tribune reports that the SA Civil Aviation Authority (Sacaa) released its preliminary accident report last week on the helicopter crash that claimed the lives of a medical team on a “mercy mission” and the pilot, in Winterton, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).
Netcare’s Bell 430 helicopter was cruising at approximately 725 feet above ground level when it started to come apart mid-air. According to the report, the 21 January crash was “not survivable” as the craft burst into flames after plummeting rapidly to the ground. The Sacaa compiled the report, according to Civil Aviation Regulations, as part of its commitment to promote safety and reduce accidents, and without apportioning blame or liability. Dr Kgopotso Rudolph Mononyane, a cardiothoracic surgeon; Dr Siyabonga Mahlangu; nurse Mpho Xaba; paramedic Sinjin Joshua Farrance; and pilot Mark Stoxreiter, a National Airways Corporation employee, were killed in the crash. Their mission had been to urgently collect and relocate a patient from Hillcrest Hospital to another health-care facility where more specialised treatment could be administered. They were delayed when Mononyane responded to a request from a doctor friend to help save the life of Minister Jackson Mthembu, who had experienced Covid-19-related complications. Despite the efforts of Mononyane and the other medics, Mthembu died. Due to the considerable damage done to the cockpit and cabin, which resulted in fatal injuries for the occupants, investigators declared the accident as “not survivable”.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Mervyn Naidoo at Sunday Tribune
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