2 aircraft crash in Gauteng in less than 24 hours
Aviation authority inspectors were dispatched to two aircraft crash sites in Johannesburg and nearby Ekurhuleni to gather evidence for a preliminary report.
Within the last 24 hours, emergency services in and around Johannesburg have responded to two separate aircraft crashes involving flight instructors and student pilots.
The first crash involved a Piper Cherokee 140 fixed-wing in Midrand, and the second a seven-seater helicopter in Germiston.
Both crashes are being investigated by the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) Accidents and Incidents Investigation Division (AIID), with preliminary reports expected within 30 days.
First crash
The sky rumbled as the fixed-wing plane crashed into the garden of a private property this morning, reports the Midrand Reporter.
Sisa Majola, the spokesperson for SACAA, says this was a training flight that departed from Grand Central Airport.
Emergency services closed off the area to swiftly attend to the scene. A flight instructor and a student pilot were on board. They both sustained serious injuries and were rushed to the hospital.
Second crash
Majola says the Bell 230 helicopter crash occurred at the Rand Airport yesterday.
“The crew, comprising a flight instructor and student pilot under training, was conducting engine-out emergency exercises at the airport’s general flying area,” says Majola.
He adds that during one of these exercises, after an engine failure simulation, the crew failed to recover the engine power on time.
“Consequently, control was lost and they impacted the ground very hard, after which the helicopter rolled over.”
The helicopter was substantially damaged. One crew member sustained serious injuries and was rushed to hospital. The other person suffered minor injuries.
Previous crashes in Midrand
The Midrand Reporter shared details of two previous plane crashes in the area:
- On November 21, 2024, a plane crashed in Glen Austin on Donovan Road. One of the two occupants was rushed to the nearest hospital for medical treatment, while the other sustained minor injuries.
- In 2023, two people were injured in a Midrand helicopter crash. Here, an instructor and a student pilot were on board conducting training exercises when the accident occurred inside the Waterfall City Cemetery, not far from a complex in Waterfall City.
In its 2025/2026 financial year-end, the AIID recorded 43 accidents, of which 12 were fatal.
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