Six die in chopper crash

2003-06-08 22:09

Erika Gibson

Nelspruit - An executive of cellphone company Cell C and four other employees died when a helicopter crashed into a mountain near Graskop on Sunday.

The crash was one of two that claimed a total of eight lives in Mpumalanga.

Springbok aerobatic pilot Arrie Meyer and his passenger, Anton Luck, were killed on impact when a Sukhoi SU-29 aerobatic plane crashed into the mountains at Kaapsehoop.

They were on their way back to Ermelo after taking part in Nelspruit's annual air show.

Cell C's chair and CEO, Talaat Laham, said the helicopter crash, in which the pilot also died, was a "tremendous shock".

The Bell 407, belonging to the National Aircraft Corporation, was one of three taking Cell C staffers back to Johannesburg after a work session at Earthlodge, near Sabie Sabie.

Initial investigations suggest there were no mechanical problems with the chopper. Thick mist could have played a role in the tragedy.

Riëtte van Niekerk who works at the Panorama holiday resort near which the accident happened, says she heard a loud bang.

"When we saw two helicopters appear, we thought the one was experiencing problems. We only heard about the crash later in the day."

Graskop resident Elsa Viljoen said thick mist could set in over the area in 15 minutes, reducing visibility to three metres.

NAC's Graeme Conlyn says the accident happened in a very remote area and it took them about five hours to find the wreckage.

Police, members of the SA mountaineering club and an Air Force Oryx helicopter only managed to reach the scene of the accident by late afternoon.

The names of the victims have, as yet, not been released.

- Beeld