Missing aircraft found in Mozambique
2012-11-20 11:30
Johannesburg - A light aircraft that went missing in Mozambique last month, carrying a
South African father and son, has been found. Sadly there were no
survivors.
Eyewitness News reporter, Mandy Wiener,
tweeted the news on Tuesday morning. She stated, quoting a post on a Facebook page dedicated to the search for the father and son: "Simms family
received the news that the plane wreck was found in Mozambique by a
villager. Neither Bryan nor Robert survived."
Bryan Simms, 60, of Midrand, and his son, Rob, 22, were last heard of
on 27 October 2012, when their light aircraft - reportedly a small
Baron 55 - went missing in Mozambique's vast province of Tete en route
to Lanseria airport, north of Johannesburg, the Mozambique Civil
Aviation Agency said.
Shortly before the plane went missing, Simms senior said in a radio message that he had problems with one of the engines.
The rest of the post on the Facebook page read: "We are awaiting positive legal identification. The outpouring of
support, hope and love from you all has helped to sustain us since the
search began 28 Oct. We ask that you please respect the privacy of our
family during this difficult time. There will be a wake on Friday for
those who wish to pay their respects, details forthcoming."
An earlier News24 report
said that members of the aviation community had spent around R200 000
from their own pockets to fund the search, with donations helping fill
the gaps.
Condolences for the Simms family have been streaming in on social media and aviation forums.
