According to Col Priscilla Naidu, it’s alleged that the pilots, aged 25 and 33 left Dawid Stuurman Airport on Saturday night on route to East London however they turned the Sling 2 aircraft around at Kenton-On-Sea and headed back towards Gqeberha.
Later, communication with the aircraft was lost and at about, SAPS Search and Rescue team including the Diving Unit and Gqeberha K9 unit were mobilised to search for the missing aircraft.
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The search was abandoned on Sunday early morning and resumed at 07:00. The rescue team was assisted by the SA Air Force and the Mountain Club of SA. The aircraft was located via aerial view in bushes on a farm in Kinkelbos.
Both pilots were declared dead on the scene in Kinkelbos.
Police are investigating an inquest. A post-mortem will be conducted to determine the cause of their deaths. Their names are being withheld until their next of kin has been informed.
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The cause of the crash will be investigated by civil aviation authorities.