Plane crash claims a life
Pilot Maurice Samouilhan died in a plane crash on Sunday when the engine of a plane he designed and built himself crashed.
The plane took of from Springs Airfield around 5:30pm.
“As he made a U-turn, one of the wings touched a tree, the plane fell to the ground and started burning,” says Francois, Maurice’s son.
The father and son team have been designing and building planes since 1988 when they designed their first plane, The Pacemaker.
They registered it with the South African Aviation and took off from Middelburg Airport for the first time in 1991.
Francois says their planes are made from fibreglass and stainless steel.
The Samouilhans received their first order for a plane in 2004 from a client in Krugersdorp.
Maurice moved from Mauritius to join the South African Airforce, did his training with them and used to take his son flying in his Cessna 182.
A fellow member of the flying club says Maurice was most certainly an enthusiastic aviator and designed and manufactured various aircraft.
He adds that Samouilhan was a member of the club for 20 odd years.
Francois says his father was very proud of what he has achieved with this aircraft and has put 500 hours of flying on it.
