Aged just eight and 15, Quentin and Lezette Steyn’s two daughters were at the Middelburg Airfield in Mpumalanga yesterday when their parents were killed in an aircraft crash.

Middelburg Observer reports that the children were with their friends and other parents, who all saw the tragic crash unfold.

Middelburg Observer spoke to Quentin’s father, Raymond Steyn, who told the paper that his son was giving rides to people at the airfield.

According to Raymond, for the last ride of the day, Quentin took Lezette as a passenger.

He says that in an attempt to execute a ‘fly-by’, Quentin took his Rans S-10 Sakota close to the ground and attempted to twirl the plane to excite the crowd of onlookers.

It is then alleged that one of the aircraft’s wings grazed the terrain, causing the single-engine aircraft to smash into the ground. The aircraft then caught on fire.

Raymond says his son was an experienced commercial and agricultural pilot, with over 6 000 flying hours logged. As such, the family believes the crash was an accident.

A statement released by the Accident and Incident Investigations Division (AIID) said Quentin and Lezette were ‘declared dead by emergency services on arrival’.

The AIID was on site this morning to collate evidence that will form part of a preliminary report that will be published on the South African Civil Aviation Authority’s website in 30 days.

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