VEREENIGING. – A local flight instructor was praised by fellow pilots last week after he was able to make an emergency landing without endangering the lives of residents on the ground.

A reliable source told Vaalweekblad that the instructor and a student from abroad were engaged in a training flight on Wednesday when their Piper Cherokee developed engine problems near Rust-ter-Vaal. It was only a shortly after they took off from the Vereeniging airfield.

“Kudos to the pilot, who did everything in his power to avoid the residential area of ​​Rust-ter-Vaal and was able to make an emergency landing in an open field,” says Vaalweekblad’s source.

On landing, the propeller unfortunately hit the ground and the plane overturned. ER24 and the Emfuleni fire brigade were soon on the scene. The instructor and student, whose identity has not been disclosed to Vaalweekblad, were badly shocked but otherwise unharmed.

The incident is being investigated by the South African Civil Aviation Authority.