The wreckage of a light aircraft that crashed in the Valley of a Thousand Hills near Cato Ridge late yesterday afternoon.
Three people died when a light aircraft crashed in the Valley of a Thousand Hills near Cato Ridge late yesterday afternoon.
The trio were burned beyond recognition.
Witnesses reported that black smoke had been coming from the plane shortly before it crashed in dense bush and mountainous terrain in the vicinity of Nagle Dam. Other sources suggested that the crash could have been related to bad weather.
The names of the three victims could not be confirmed last night.
Paramedics at the scene reported that the bodies were so badly burnt that it was impossible to determine their age or sex.
The plane, believed to be a Beechcraft F33 Bonanza, was understood to have taken off from Pietermaritzburg Airport and was on its way to Newcastle via Greytown.
According to ER24 spokeswoman Vanessa Jackson, the first report of the crash was around 5.30pm.
“Paramedics from Durban and Pietermaritzburg immediately set off to find the scene, which was explained as being in the Valley of a Thousand Hills.”
Jackson said paramedics took about an hour to walk up the mountain, through dense bush, to the crash site.
They found the wreckage of a light, fixed-wing aircraft. It was still burning.
“All that they could make out was the charred remains of three people, and due to their extensive burns, it was not possible to determine if they were adults or children, men or women.”
This was the second light aircraft incident in KZN this week.
Earlier this week a pilot and two passengers had a narrow escape when their plane made an emergency landing at the Pietermaritzburg Airport.
