A Convair 340, registation ZS-BRV, crashed and broke up during a test flight out of Wonderboom Airport, reportedly carrying about 20 occupants.
During takeoff from Wonderboom Airport, the aircraft was seen trailing smoke from the no.1 engine (Left Engine). Eyewitnesses also reported observing flames. The pilot flew a right hand circuit at low altitude for an emergency landing back on runway 29. Having turned to base leg the aircraft went down about 6 km to the east of the airport. It impacted a shed and broke up. The flight engineer sustained fatal injuries.
The aircraft had been donated by the owner, Rovos Air, to the Dutch aviation theme park Aviodrome. It carried the colour scheme of the former Dutch airline Martin’s Air Charter (later renamed Martinair) and was to be ferried to the Netherlands with an expected arrival at Lelystad Airport on July 23, 2018. The accident flight was the final test flight before the planned start of the ferry flight on July 12.
One person has been confirmed dead on the scene where a plane crashed at Wonderboom in Pretoria, paramedics said on Tuesday.
Earlier, ER24 spokesperson Russel Meiring said approximately 20 people were injured when the plane crashed.
“Their injuries range from minor to critical,” he said.
Meiring said they had two air ambulance helicopters on the scene as well. He said they were not able to comment on what caused the accident at this stage.
“Initial reports from the aircraft crash in Wonderboom has left allegedly 20 people injured, at least one critically,” ER24 tweeted.
Best Care ambulance services’ Xander Loubser said the pilot was in a critical condition following the crash.
Emer-g-med’s Jurgen Kotze, who said they were the first responders to the accident, said four people including the pilot sustained critical injuries.
“The pilot is still entrapped in the cockpit of the airplane and sustained critical injuries. We are still treating him on scene,” he said at the time.
Kotze said the remaining passengers’ injuries range from minor to moderate.
