Latest news with #GregoryCritchley
The South African
a day ago
- General
- The South African
Airplane crashes into the ocean in Durban
An aerial display by a light aircraft, went awry, with the airplane, crashing instead. This unfolded at the Suncoast Beach, Durban, today (August 14) at about 2.30pm. Beachgoers and onlookers were startled to see a distressed looking aircraft plunge into the ocean close to shore. An ALS Paramedic Medical Services post on X confirmed that a light aircraft crashed into the ocean. A host of emergency services were on scene to offer assistance. Spokesperson for ALS, Garrith Jamieson, said: 'Initial reports are that the light aircraft was doing displays and crashed into the ocean. NSRI and lifeguards are currently at the site and paramedics are standing by for medical assistance.' The South African Police Services (SAPS) helicopter and National Sea Rescue Institute were searching the area. The Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre (ARCC) confirmed they were alerted to the crash and activated a search operation. 'A coordinated search operation is underway involving SAPS divers, Metro SAR divers and NSRI teams to locate the missing pilot,' said Gregory Critchley, the ARCC Chief of Operations. The pilot has not been found yet. Critchley confirmed the pilot was the only person on board the plane. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 11. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news
The Citizen
09-06-2025
- General
- The Citizen
Missing plane update: Air search and rescue grounded due to weather
Rescue operations have been hampered today (June 9) by bad weather over the entire search area for the missing plane which is believed to have crashed sometime last night. The plane – a Piper Cherokee that was part of a training flight from Virginia Airfield in Durban, involving three aircraft – went missing after aborting an attempted landing to refuel at Ladysmith Airfield in KZN. It is believed that the plane turned back to either make a landing in Greytown or Pietermaritzburg. All contact was lost with the plane shortly afterwards. A second plane, which also failed to land, crash-landed near Greytown. Fortunately, no one was injured. The third plane (which was the lead plane) successfully landed in Ladysmith, refueled and continued to Pretoria. According to a Ladysmith pilot who did not want to be named, the three planes from Pretoria had successfully landed at Ladysmith Airfield the day before and had been warned not to depart too late from Virginia on the Sunday. Unfortunately they did… Several residents reported hearing the planes circling the town low overhead on Sunday evening shortly after 18:00. The planes had intended to stop over in Ladysmith to refuel before continuing on to Pretoria. According to ARCC chief of operations, Gregory Critchley, the Aeronautical Rescue Co-ordination Centre (ARCC) has launched an urgent search & rescue (SAR) operation following the disappearance of a light aircraft carrying three individuals. Also read: Plane crashes while another goes missing on training flight in KZN The aircraft, which departed Virginia Airport at around 15:00 on June 8, failed to reach its alternate destination and was last tracked flying over Ladysmith, heading south towards either Pietermaritzburg or Greytown. While ground SAR teams have been immediately deployed to the designated primary search area, aerial SAR units are grounded but are on high alert and ready to assist as soon as weather conditions permit. The ARCC is committed to locating the missing aircraft and ensuring the safety of those on board. Anyone with information is urged to come forward and assist in this critical operation. For any sightings of the aircraft or information, please contact the ARCC on 0635054164 or 0635055485. Please follow us on our YouTube channel and do not be shy; please subscribe and comment as well. Click to receive news links via WhatsApp. Or for the latest news, visit our webpage or follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Join us there! At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
