Aircraft crash-lands after engine failure
Oarabile Mosikare | Monday July 28, 2014 18:08
Fresh from reports of Malaysia’s H370 which disappeared with 227 passengers, another Malaysian MH17 which was shot down with 298 people and lately Air Algerie flight AH5017, which killed 110 people, frantic villagers were thinking Botswana is just about to have its own aircraft horror story unfolding in front of their eyes.
Youngster Kgosi Lukase claims he was the first one on the scene. “I was coming from the shops when I saw this aircraft going in zigzags in the air; it was not making any sound, as if the engine was not working. It landed and moved a distance of 100 metres. It nearly collided with a truck which was coming from the opposite direction; another small car was also on the road when the aircraft landed; I wonder how it missed colliding with the truck, it was a close call”, narrated Lukase.
Another eyewitness Samokeliso Khutshwe said it was around 8:46 am when she saw the aircraft hovering over their houses as if looking to land, something that forced vehicles on the road to speed off.
“We phoned the police quickly because we thought it might crash. The situation was so scary we were forced to run for our lives and abandon our shops. We thought it will fall on the buildings any time. We only ran to the scene after it had landed on the road and we saw the pilot coming out,” Khutswe said.
The Monitor team also observed that the small aircraft did not have a door on one side. The aircraft, belonging to an unidentified private owner, is said to have been used as a trainer for para-troopers, but at the time there was only one person in the plane.
The moustached, light skinned beefy pilot who identified himself as a citizen, however refused to give his name, or the reason why he landed on the Mmopane road. He was busy on the phone talking to some people trying to explain how he nearly lost his life.
The scene was jam packed with two fire fighters, the presence of the military and the police who had sealed portions of the road for the Civil Aviation Authority of Botswana (CAAB) to do their assessment. The Monitor learnt that A2-AJC aircraft had an emergency landing due to technical problems.
CAAB public affairs manager Modipe Nkwe confirmed that they received a report that a privately owned aircraft had an emergency landing at Mmopane village.
Unconfirmed reports are that a local flying instructor who was to participate at the Rasesa air show on Saturday owns the aircraft. Apparently the aircraft developed mechanical problems after he dropped off paratroopers who were practicing for the air show with parachutes.