Video: 2 killed in aircraft crash at Middelburg Airfield
Yesterday afternoon, two people tragically lost their lives in an aircraft crash at the Middelburg Airfield.
According to Middelburg Observer, the aircraft involved in the crash, which took place between 15:00 and 15:30, is believed to have been a Rans S-10 Sakota.
Middelburg Observer has been informed that a family member of the victims travelled to the crash site to identify the remains.
However, due to the severity of the injuries, more time is needed to definitively confirm the identities of the two individuals inside the aircraft.
Therefore, the Observer will refrain from publishing the names of the deceased until the paper has spoken with the victims' family.
The newspaper urged the public not to speculate out of respect for the loved ones dealing with this traumatic event.
A Middelburg Observer journalist spoke with Middelburg Aero Club chairperson Cobus Peens.
'Myself and everyone at the Aero Club offer our heartfelt sympathies to the family of those who lost their lives. Although not members of the Middelburg Aero Club, they (the deceased) planned to become affiliated and made use of our facilities to store their aircraft.'
Peens further stated that Mayday-SA, a 'group of volunteers offering a confidential and compassionate support network to South African aviation licence holders', has offered their services to the victims' family, as well as to everyone who attended the scene.
The images and video material below were taken with the permission of the police at the scene, after the bodies had been removed from the aircraft by forensics.
Watch the video:
@middelburgobserver
WARNING: SHOCKING CONTENT – Video material of the aircraft crash wreckage at the Middelburg Airfield that claimed 2 lives Disclaimer: The Middelburg Observer has included images and video material of this afternoon's aircraft wreckage to accurately inform our readers about the severity of the event. No human remains are shown, however, the content may be distressing to sensitive readers.
♬ original sound – MiddelburgObserver – MiddelburgObserver
More photos:
Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel.
Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal.
Read original story on www.citizen.co.za
At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Citizen
2 hours ago
- The Citizen
Top 10 stories of the day: KT Molefe denied bail
Here's your daily news update for Wednesday, 20 August 2025: An easy-to-read selection of our top stories. News today includes controversial businessman Katiso 'KT' Molefe will remain behind bars after his bid for bail failed on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Parliament's Police Portfolio Committee Chairperson Ian Cameron and two other DA members fell victim to an attempted hijacking in Cape Town. Furthermore, Kaya FM has suspended broadcaster Sol Phenduka with immediate effect. Weather tomorrow: 21 August 2025 Extremely high fire danger conditions are expected in all provinces except Gauteng and the Western Cape. There will be rough seas between the Western Cape and the Northern Cape, but conditions will be mostly warm nationwide. Full weather forecast here. Stay up to date with The Citizen – More News, Your Way. DJ Sumbody murder: Katiso 'KT' Molefe remains behind bars as bail denied Controversial businessman Katiso 'KT' Molefe will remain behind bars after his bid for bail failed on Wednesday. Molefe appeared in the Alexandra Magistrate's Court to hear the outcome of his bail application. Controversial businessman Katiso Molefe appears for bail application at the Alexandra Magistrate's Court in Johannesburg on 6 August 2025. Picture: Nigel Sibanda /The Citizen The alleged mastermind was arrested alongside three hitmen in connection with the murder of South African artist Oupa John Sefoka, widely known as DJ Sumbody. CONTINUE READING: DJ Sumbody murder: Katiso 'KT' Molefe remains behind bars as bail denied De Lille dissolves SA Tourism board – but Outa calls her decision 'disgraceful' Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille has dissolved the SA Tourism board with immediate effect over what she called unlawful decisions. De Lille informed the board of her decision on 19 August, following consideration of their written representations as to why the board should not be dissolved. Minister of Tourism, Patricia de Lille. Picture: Neil McCartney / The Citizen The minister said the board members neglected to address the crucial question of the legality of the process the board used when calling a special board meeting on 1 August, when the unlawful resolution was taken. CONTINUE READING: De Lille dissolves SA Tourism board – but Outa calls her decision 'disgraceful' Ian Cameron, DA colleagues escape hijack attempt in Philippi after police academy visit Parliament's Police Portfolio Committee Chairperson Ian Cameron and two other DA members fell victim to an attempted hijacking in Cape Town. It is understood that Cameron and his fellow DA colleagues Nicholas Gotsell and Lisa-Maré Schickerling were in one car when three unknown men attacked their vehicle with bricks, smashing at least three windows, on the corner of Eisleben and Govan Mbeki Road on Tuesday afternoon. Chairperson of the portfolio committee on police Ian Cameron. Picture: X / @ParliamentZA They were returning from an oversight visit to the police training college in Philippi East when the incident occurred. CONTINUE READING: Ian Cameron, DA colleagues escape hijack attempt in Philippi after police academy visit Increase in inflation of 0.5% expected, but could drift higher The inflation rate increased by 0.5% from 3% in June to 3.5% in July. Economists expected an increase and say it could drift higher towards the end of the year, although not much. However, they are divided about whether the Reserve Bank will cut the repo rate again this year. Jee-A van der Linde, senior economist at Oxford Economics Africa, says the sharp increase of 0.5% is due to municipal tariff increases but the overall inflation outlook remains favourable. He expects that headline inflation will drift to slightly above 4% by the end of the year. Picture: iStock 'There was a risk of an upside inflation surprise, as July is a high-survey month, with municipal tariff increases typically coming in higher than the headline rate. However, the latest outturn does not change our view of inflation, with the benign outlook still intact.' CONTINUE READING: Increase in inflation of 0.5% expected, but could drift higher Kaya FM suspends Sol Phenduka pending an internal investigation Kaya FM has suspended broadcaster Sol Phenduka with immediate effect. 'Kaya 959 confirms that presenter Sol Phenduka has been placed on suspension with immediate effect. This step has been taken pending the outcome of an internal process currently underway,' read a statement shared with The Citizen by Ian Bredenkamp, who handles PR for the station. Sol Phenduka has been suspended by Kaya FM pending an investigation. Picture: solphenduka/Instagram When asked about the reason behind the suspension and its duration, Bredenkamp said they would release a follow-up statement 'once the internal process is concluded'. CONTINUE READING: Kaya FM suspends Sol Phenduka pending an internal investigation Here are five more stories of the day: Yesterday's News recap READ HERE: Rand manipulation saga in ConCourt | Eldos' Nikita laid to rest | RIP Tendai Ndoro
The Citizen
6 hours ago
- The Citizen
Dirco clarifies its response to US report that claimed racial minorities are abused in SA
Dirco disputed the 'inaccurate and distorted account of the facts' in the US Human Rights Report. The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) has updating its initial statement challenging the 2024 US Human Rights Report's assessment of safety conditions in South Africa's rural and farming communities. The report, released this month, stated that 'South Africa took a substantially worrying step towards land expropriation of Afrikaners and further abuses against racial minorities in the country'. It highlighted 'significant human rights issues', including unlawful killings, arbitrary arrest and the repression of racial minorities. 'The [South African] government did not take credible steps to investigate, prosecute, and punish officials who committed human rights abuses, including inflammatory racial rhetoric against Afrikaners and other racial minorities, or violence against racial minorities.' SA government rejects racial motivation claims Dirco on Wednesday said the South African government wishes to clarify what it called 'an inaccurate and distorted account of the facts'. It said the nation addresses all forms of crime as a significant challenge affecting all citizens, regardless of their race or location. 'The suggestion that these crimes represent a concerted practice of racially motivated attacks, as insinuated by the US report, is not borne out by the facts,' Dirco stated. ALSO READ: Dirco rejects 'inaccurate and deeply flawed' US reports on SA human rights Police statistics challenge US assessment Official statistics from the South African Police Service (Saps) support the government's position. The data covers rural safety for the fourth quarter of the 2024/2025 financial year, from 1 January to 31 March 2025. Dirco highlighted that during this period, six murder cases occurred in farming communities. The breakdown of victims demonstrates that crimes do not target a single racial group. According to the statistics quoted by Dirco, the three victims were farm employees, one was a farm dweller, and two were farmers. 'These figures underscore that violent crime in rural areas affects everyone who lives and works on farms and related rural areas,' the department said. 'While the loss of any life is a tragedy, these statistics do not reveal a pattern of action driven by inflammatory racial rhetoric against a specific community.' ALSO READ: US report on human rights abuse in SA rejected Rural safety strategy Dirco said the government continues implementing a multi-disciplinary approach to rural safety. It said the National Rural Safety Strategy remains a priority and operates in police station areas serving rural and farming communities. By the end of the fourth quarter of 2024/2025, the strategy had been fully implemented in 893 out of 900 identified rural police stations. The initiative focuses on strengthening police capacity and encouraging community involvement, including traditional leaders and agricultural organisations. Parties involved in rural safety strategy The strategy incorporates multiple stakeholder groups in its implementation. Commercial farmers associations participate through organisations including: African Farmers Association of South Africa, National African Farmers' Union, Agri-SA and its provincial structures, and Transvaal Agricultural Union. Labour unions also play a role, particularly the Food and Allied Workers Union and organisations advocating for farm workers' rights. Interest groups such as AfriForum, the South African Agricultural Research Institute, and Stop Attacks and Farm Murders contribute to the collaborative effort. Private sector collaboration The government said it actively strengthens public-private partnerships through specialised programmes. 'Furthermore, we are actively strengthening public-private partnerships through initiatives like the Eyes and Ears (E2) programme, coordinated with Business Against Crime South Africa (Bacsa),' the department stated. This initiative utilises the private security industry's technological and logistical capabilities, which improve response times to rural crimes. Commitment to transparency Dirco said South Africa maintains its commitment to transparent and collaborative crime-fighting approaches. The government expressed readiness to engage with other countries on matters of mutual interest through established diplomatic channels. 'We stand ready to engage with any nation on matters of mutual interest through established diplomatic channels, and we will continue to provide accurate, data-driven information to counter any misrepresentations of our domestic situation,' the department concluded. NOW READ: Dirco reviewing ministerial report on Hajj and Umrah for SA pilgrims
The Citizen
6 hours ago
- The Citizen
Ballistic reports expected as Marco Schalekamp returns to White River court
It's been more than a month since murder-accused Marco Schalekamp was denied bail on July 8 after he failed to prove the existence of exceptional circumstances during his bail hearing. According to Lowvelder, he is expected to appear in the White River Magistrate's Court on Thursday for his next hearing, in which ballistic reports could be presented to the court. He stands accused of premeditated murder and attempted murder following the fatal shooting of Pieter Burger and the wounding of Arno van Niekerk near the White River Rugby Club in the early hours of June 5. Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. Read original story on
