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Aviation authority concerned at "spike in aircraft accidents"

Wreckage of crash in Koster on Thursday

Supplied


The South African Civil Aviation Authority said it was concerned about the "recent spike in aircraft accidents", with 14 recorded in January.

The CAA said four of those accidents were fatal and claimed the lives of eight people.

"While air transport still remains the safest among all modes of transport, to us as the regulator, one life lost is just one too many," said Poppy Khoza, who leads the SACAA as Director of Civil Aviation.

She said the last time South Africa experienced such a high number of accidents was in October 2008, subsequently dubbed ‘black October’, when 20 accidents were recorded in that month, resulting in eight fatal accidents that claimed 26 lives.

"Whilst the accident rate is not currently at that level, it is quite concerning that we have had so many accidents in just one month," Khoza said.

Meanwhile, the CAA's caution came on the same day that a pilot was killed when a light aircraft crashed on a farm outside Koster in North West province.

ER24 said paramedics and the Provincial Fire Services arrived on the scene just before noon to find the aircraft's smouldering wreckage in a field.

A spokesperson said the pilot's body was found under a part of the plane.

Authorities have been dispatched to the scene to begin the investigation.