‘Crashed’ aircraft on open veld in Midrand
MIDRAND - A crashed Rockwell Aero Commander aircraft was seen in an open field north of the runway at Grand Central Airport.
While community members raised concerns on social media platforms, and motorists on the K101 slowed down to see the aircraft, the crash was actually a full-scale emergency exercise at the airport.
In an attempt to be better prepared in the case of a real emergency, the airport staged the crash incident.
The Rockwell Aero Commander with two crew members and four passengers was parked north of the airport’s field. In the scenario, the aircraft had been given clearance to take off on the airport’s Runway 35 with the final destination of Bloemfontein.
As the aircraft was taking off, the tyres supposedly burst into flames and the pilot ‘lost control’. The tower sounded the alarm to activate the crash crew to respond.
One pilot was ‘ejected’ but the other pilot, crew and passengers were still in the aircraft and one of the engines was ‘alight’ and one of the wings was ‘burning’.
The management team was notified and extra resources were called in from the Johannesburg Fire Department, South African Police Service, Netcare 911, Metro police and Off Road Rescue Unit. As the various teams arrived they were directed to the staging area, where the scene of ‘bloodied and unconscious victims’ awaited them.
The ‘fire’ was extinguised and the ‘victims’ were removed from the scene and ‘given medical attention’.
After the Civil Aviation Authority had concluded their ‘investigation’, the ground decontamination was handed over to Drizit’s Hazmat Response Team.
