GUSTING winds are believed to have been the cause of a light aircraft crash at the East London Airport last month.
According to the Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) preliminary investigation, a sudden gust of wind while landing caused the pilot to lose control and the plane to flip.
“On final approach for runway 29, a sudden gust of wind lifted the aircraft away from the runway to the right, the pilot lost control of the aircraft and the [right] wing dropped,” the report states.
The plane crashed about 110m from the runway.
Willem Nieuwenhuis, his wife, Sanja, and their children, Ruan, 17, Liandri, 13, and Talita, 9, were in the plane at the time.
The family, who are from KwaZuluNatal, were en route from Grahamstown to the South Coast.
The plane crashed while landing in East London to refuel.
The CAA investigation will continue.
– Gareth Wilson
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