Investigators probe final moments before fatal Piper Cherokee wreck
Nqobile Biyela, Lulama 'Lwazi' Msane and Siphesihle Buthelezi died in a plane crash in KZN.
Image: Supplied/Se-Anne Rall/IOL
Investigators are piecing together what happened in the moments before a Piper Cherokee crashed in KwaZulu-Natal, claiming the lives two pilots and a medical student on board.
The deceased have been identified as 23-year-old student pilots Nqobile Biyela and Lulama 'Lwazi' Msane, along with 20-year-old medical student Siphesihle Buthelezi.
IOL reported that the small aircraft departed from the Virginia Airport in Durban, at the weekend.
Nqobile Biyela
Image: Supplied
Lulama 'Lwazi' Msane
Image: Supplied
Siphesihle Buthelezi
Image: Supplied
MEC for Transport and Human Settlements Siboniso Duma, confirmed that the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) and the South African Police Service (SAPS) have launched a formal investigation.
"A report from the Accident and Incident Investigation Division is expected within 30 days," he said.
Duma added that the grief experienced by the families, friends, and peers of the victims was unbearable and urged the public to continue offering support and compassion to the bereaved families.
"We are fully aware that post-mortem examinations of the victims by trained pathologists will be critical in terms of highlighting causative factors, crash injuries, and survival factors," Duma said.
He said his department is in touch with the families of the deceased.
"It is sad that, during Youth Month, we lose the lives of dedicated and intelligent young people who were destined to take the aviation and healthcare industries to the next level," he said.
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