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An investigation is under way after a light aircraft crashed into a school’s tuckshop in Alberton on Sunday.
Ekurhuleni Emergency Services/Supplied
- A light aircraft crashed into the tuckshop of a school in Alberton on Sunday.
- The pilot wanted to make an emergency landing on the school’s rugby field after experiencing engine failure.
- Both the pilot and his instructor were unharmed.
An investigation is under way after a light aircraft crashed into the tuckshop of Hoërskool Alberton in Ekurhuleni on Sunday morning.
“Circumstances around the incident are under investigation by the relevant authorities. The pilot and the instructor who were on board the aircraft reportedly sustained no injuries,” Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) spokesperson Steve Mabona said.
“The department can confirm this incident will not disrupt schooling activities or the ongoing National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations. Parents have been advised to ensure that learners bring their own food to school while repairs are being arranged.”
Ekurhuleni emergency services spokesperson Tikkie MacDonald said the plane wanted to make an emergency crash landing on Hoërskool Alberton’s rugby field.
MacDonald added:
The instructor and student were conducting a final evaluation flight test for a private pilot licence when they experienced engine failure, necessitating an emergency landing on the school’s rugby field. Fortunately, both the instructor and student escaped uninjured.
The incident has been reported to the South African Civil Aviation Authority (Sacaa) and is currently under investigation.
Sacaa spokesperson Sisa Majola said the Accidents and Incidents Investigations Division (AIID) was investigating the emergency landing at the school.
The aircraft had departed from Rand Airport for a private pilot licence skills test and was returning to the same airport when the accident occurred, it said, adding that it was believed that the aircraft experienced an engine stoppage that led to the forced landing.
“The approximate time of this accident was 11:20, involving a Tecnam P92 Echo aircraft, registration ZU-BJX. On board the aircraft were two occupants - a flight instructor and the student pilot. There were no injuries reported,” Majola added.
“However, there was damage to the aircraft and the school building after the emergency landing.”
An AIID investigator was dispatched to the site to collect evidence for a final report, which will be issued once the investigation is complete, according to Majola.
READ | Missing light aircraft found near Barberton — pilot confirmed dead
Multiple light aircraft crashes have been reported over the last few months.
Earlier this month, two pilots died in the KwaZulu-Natal midlands when their aircraft disappeared near Nottingham Road.
In August, a pilot died when his plane crashed into the sea off Suncoast Beach near central Durban during an airshow.
In May, a couple died when a light aircraft crashed and caught alight near Middelburg Airfield in Mpumalanga.
And, in April, the Accident and Incident Investigations Division (AIID) of the Sacaa said a light aircraft crashed, claiming the life of a pilot in Pretoria East.
