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'There was a sudden explosion'
27/01/2008 23:27 - (SA)
Stephanie Saville
Pietermaritzburg - An 18-year-old girl has described the horror of seeing a plane crash and explode on her family's farm near Howick.
The crash claimed the lives of two Gauteng men on Saturday.
They were the pilot, Andries van Niekerk, 24, and his passenger, 49-year-old Herman Marx.
Amy Mitchell told The Witness on Sunday she had been taking a walk at Glen Call Farm at lunchtime when she heard the light aircraft in front of her low down in the valley.
"It was close to the mountain and the engine tones were varying. It seemed to be experiencing difficultly in the wind draft."
She said the weather was clear at the time.
"It took a low swerve and lifted and I thought it would clear the mountain."
She then heard a crash and looked to see what had happened. "There was a sudden explosion and all I could think was to run."
Amy dashed down the hill to the house where they called the police.
Sat there dumbstruck
"My brother, Charles, set off immediately on his motorbike and I followed in the car with my dad, Gary."
She said that when they arrived there was a huge fire.
"We saw one man, but there was nothing we could do for him."
With the help of neighbours and a farm worker, the Mitchells put out the fire with branches torn from nearby trees.
Amy said: "I got quite a fright. It was like something you see on the movies. After fighting the fire, I sat dumbstruck watching the burning wreck."
Her father, Gary, told The Witness that the terrain in the area was very hilly and there was a deep gorge where the plane crashed.
He said he believed the men were doing an agricultural survey.
Senior Superintendent Henry Budhram said that when they arrived at Glen Call Farm the men were already dead.
Initial reports had stated that the craft was a microlight, but Budhram said on Sunday that this may have been due to the state of the plane He confirmed that the plane, an Icarus 42, had burst into flames on impact.
He said the aircraft, which belonged to a Pretoria company known as SIQ which deals with spatial technology, was surveying farmlands in the area when it crashed.
Engine taken from wreckage
"The Civil Aviation Authority will investigate further to establish the cause of the crash and the circumstances surrounding it."
Family of the victims, who travelled from Gauteng early on Sunday morning, and representatives from SIQ gathered at the crash along with members of the Civil Aviation Authority.
The engine was taken from the wreckage for examination by the CAA. The family and SIQ representatives were too distressed to speak to the media.
The plane took off from Howick airfield and was to fly to Underberg, Kokstad and Margate.
- The Witness
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