The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has confirmed that a South African Air Force (SAAF) helicopter crashed at Du Toitskloof Pass north of Cape Town on Sunday afternoon and that some crew sustained minor injuries.
An SAAF Oryx helicopter crash-landed on the Worcester side of the Huguenot Tunnel at about 1.50pm – the time of the report at the ops room in Ysterplaat Air Force Base in Cape Town, the SANDF said in a second statement issued shortly after an earlier statement which said there had been no injuries.
The crew had been tasked to assist a training team in the Touws River area near Worcester. They had completed their assignment and were returning to Ysterplaat base when the accident happened.
“The crew consisted of the pilot, co-pilot, a flight engineer, and four aircraft technicians, and mechanics. No fatalities or serious injuries [occurred], but the pilot complained of back pain and has been taken by ambulance to 2 Military Hospital in Cape Town.”
A team of aircraft accident investigators and a contingent of security personnel had been sent to the accident site to secure the wreckage and start an investigation. More information would be provided to the media at a later stage, the SANDF said.
Earlier, paramedics and traffic officials said eight people were injured, one seriously. Western Cape provincial traffic chief Kenny Africa said the crash happened on the Worcester side of the pass. “Apparently the chopper crashed into overhead power cables.” There were no fatalities although eight occupants were injured, he said.
ER24 spokesman Russel Meiring confirmed eight people were injured when the helicopter crashed on the N1 at Du Toitskloof between Worcester and Paarl.
“ER24 paramedics, along with several other services, arrived on the scene to find to find a large helicopter lying across the entire highway. Debris from the helicopter was spread across the scene. Traffic authorities began to close off the road and divert traffic while paramedics began to assess the patients.
“Eight people were found to be injured. One had sustained serious injuries while seven others had sustained minor to moderate injuries. Paramedics treated the patients and provided the seriously injured [patient] with advanced life support interventions before they were transported to a nearby hospital for further treatment,” Meiring said.
Africa said the Du Toitkloof Pass had been closed to traffic and road users were asked to use alternative routes from Worcester to Cape Town via Villiersdorp, Grabouw, Wolseley, Tulbagh, or Wellington.
– African News Agency (ANA)
