Helicopter crew 'showing off'
Date: 18 March 2005
Harrismith - Four aircrew have survived an SA Air Force helicopter crash outside the Bergview Engen One-Stop in Harrismith on Friday morning, emergency services said.
"Two people suffered minor injuries and the other two are fine," fire chief Mohlahoana Mokwena told Sapa.
The two had been taken to a nearby hospital.
The Alouette III helicopter went down next to the N3 highway between Durban and Johannesburg.
SA National Defence Force spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Louis Kirstein confirmed that the aircraft, based at Bloemspruit Air Force Base in Bloemfontein "made a forced landing outside Harrismith. A board of inquiry has been convened."
The helicopter was apparently giving a flight display to spectators after the crew had stopped for take-aways at the centre's Wimpy restaurant, a witness to the crash told Sapa.
"The chopper took a drive around and went sideways ... it just missed some trees ... then it turned around and went to the ground ... and went up suddenly again but lost power," said Jean Smith, maintenance manager at Bergview.
"I think they tried to show off," he said.
The helicopter then crashed around 100m from the complex, on the other side of the N3.
"One blade hit a car on the freeway and spinned into the complex where there were about 60 kids in the playground.
"The blade landed inside the animal farm (adjacent to the playground)."
Smith said one of the crew complained of a sore back while the other three were walking around.
Asked about the accounts of its last flight, Kirstein said that would probably be part of the inquiry.
The Alouette III range of helicopters have been in service with the SAAF for the last 40 years.
They are due for replacement under government's controversial multi-billion rand arms deal.
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