SAAF plane crashes on Kei Mouth exercise
Date: 25 July 2011
South African Air Force (SAAF) members were tested on more than just combat at the weekend when their plane crashed outside Kei Mouth during an exercise in support of Nelson Mandela month.
The matter was kept quiet yesterday, with several spokespeople refusing to comment.
However, the Daily Dispatch is able to confirm that several airforce members were rushed to an East London hospital at about 1pm on Saturday after their Cessna Caravan went down.
The crash victims were still being debriefed yesterday afternoon. Their were no fatalities.
The SAAF Winter Solstice Exercise is an annual event and this year scheduled to take place in Bhisho until July 31.
Spokesperson Brigadier-General Marthie Visser said the Cessna Caravan went down near the Kei River mouth at about lunch time on Saturday. She said it was not yet clear what the cause of the accident was, but it would be investigated by an SAAF board of inquiry.
"At this stage we don't have much detail," she said, adding that the pilot and passengers involved would receive trauma counselling.
Visser said the victims were airlifted to hospital by helicopter, but she was unable to reveal at which hospital were colleagues were being treated, comment on their injuries, or say how many people were involved.
SAAF King William's Town media liaison officer Captain Victor Khumalo said Saturday's accident had been "minor" and that "in events like this, a crash such as Saturday's is not completely unexpected."
The Winter Solstice Exercise, according to a media statement, focuses on the needs as experienced during deployments in support of African Union initiatives.
The aim of the exercise is to train and evaluate all spheres and capabilities within the SAAF.
The (Eastern Cape) area has been selected in terms of unique terrain and challenges it poses to deploy forces and it therefore presents an excellent training opportunity.
"The exercise consists mainly of Red and Blue forces, wargaming a real-time scenario of friendly and enemy forces of neighbouring countries, to evaluate comprehensive SAAF operational capabilities.
"The exercise is in support of Nelson Mandela month," the statement reads.
About 570 SAAF members took part in last weekend's activities.
Source: Daily Dispatch
