Pilots 'ejected too late'

A flight instructor and a young pilot desperately tried to land their Impala jet on a highway, but died when they ejected too late.

One of them, still in the ejection seat, landed on a moving truck and crashed through the roof into the cargo hold. The other smashed into rocks on the side of the road. Lieutenants Derek Duvenhage and Andy Martin died instantly.

Martin, an instructor at the air force's 85 Combat Flying School at Hoedspruit air force base, and Duvenhage, his student at the same school, were on a low-level tactical navigation flight when the plane apparently developed mechanical problems. These could have been caused by a bird strike that could have led to engine failure, said a source.

A colleague, who did not want to be named, said the only explanation why the two did not immediately eject from a safe height and save their lives, was that they tried to save the plane by doing an emergency landing. The Impala was low over the N4 highway through the Crocodile River gorge when it apparently swerved to avoid oncoming traffic.

One of the pilots hit Enoch Nkosi's truck. Nkosi said he saw a ball of flames approaching. The next moment, something hit the roof. He stopped immediately and made the gruesome find in the hold. He only realised later there had been a plane crash. Experts said the rockets under the ejection seats probably caused the ball of flame. After activation, it takes less than a second for the seat to fall away from the pilot.

Normally, the ejection seat has enough power to safely thrust the pilot away, even from a stationary position, and allow him to open his parachute. However, when a plane loses altitude quickly or when the pilot ejects from an oblique angle - especially so close to the ground - the seats are not so effective.

Martin earned his pilot's wings at Central Flying School in Langebaanweg in May 2000, while Duvenhage received his in December last year. Martin became an instructor after qualifying. Duvenhage recently completed his first solo flight in an Impala and was completing his operational training when the accident happened. 

Both were in their twenties and unmarried.

News24