Microlight adventure ends in tragedy
2013-01-11 09:05
Cape Town - It was supposed to be a fun day out for two
brothers but it ended in tragedy when one of them died along with a pilot in a
microlight crash in Malmesbury on Thursday.
Anton Jonker, 27, and his younger brother Leon Jonker, 21,
wanted to do something adventurous together and booked the microlight flight
with pilot Trygve Skörge, 54, Die Burger reported on Friday.
It was Anton’s first trip in a microlight and he went up
first with Skörge. Minutes after take-off, the plane crashed on the farm
Wintervogel and both died on impact.
A farmworker told how he was eating breakfast in the barn
when he heard a loud bang and then ran outside with a fire extinguisher to put
out the flames.
“I couldn’t do anything else. He [Leon Jonker] stood next to
me. It was upsetting,” said Abraham Swarts.
Leon later said: “The accident rocked me. Anton was a leader
- my leader. I didn’t see the accident happening but I heard it.”
His brother was a chemical engineer who had worked for Eskom
at the Koeberg power station for about three years.
The owner of the flying field at Wintervogel said he had
known Skörge for almost 20 years and described him as an excellent pilot.
“I myself have been flying for 58 years. I can see what
happened. He had problems in the air, technical problems… He tried to land.
There where he came down, he landed too hard and the aircraft exploded,” said
Andries van Dijk.
The Civil Aviation Authority is investigating the crash.
