A CHARTERED aircraft carrying a group of lawyers on a flight from Oranjemund to Windhoek was forced to make a crash landing south of Luederitz yesterday.
A Cessna 310, registration number V5-LUC, had to make an emergency landing as it approached the Luederitz airport, sources informed The Namibian late yesterday afternoon. Four Windhoek lawyers who had flown to Oranjemund to attend a court case at the diamond mining town were on board.They are Deon Obbes, Frank Koepplinger, Carli Schickerling and Dee Sauls.They reportedly emerged from the accident shocked and sore, but otherwise not seriously injured.The aircraft’s pilot, whose name could not be established, was injured, though, and is feared to have suffered a broken back.The aircraft was supposed to land at Luederitz to take in fuel on its way from Oranjemund to Windhoek, Koepplinger said when he was contacted at Luederitz early yesterday evening.Koepplinger related that the plane was already descending on approach to the airport when the pilot announced: “Tighten your belts.”A loud bang followed, as the plane made a sudden crash landing.The aircraft appeared to have experienced a sudden engine failure, Koepplinger said.He said while he and the other passengers were experiencing body aches after the event, they did not otherwise appear to be seriously hurt.Their pilot, however, may have suffered a more serious back injury.According to Titus Shuungula, an aircraft accident investigator attached to the Directorate of Aircraft Accident Investigations in the Ministry of Works, Transport and Communications, an investigator from the Directorate was dispatched by air to Luederitz yesterday afternoon to investigate the incident.Shuungula said according to preliminary information available to him the pilot was the only person injured in the accident.He said he had been informed that the accident took place when the aircraft apparently landed short of the runway.According to Sikongo Haihambo, the Namibia Airports Company’s General Manager: Business Development, Marketing and Corporate Communication, his office was informed that the aircraft experienced a suspected engine failure and had to make an emergency landing about five kilometres south of Luederitz Airport at about 15h50.Emergency services personnel took the pilot and four passengers to a hospital at the town, Haihambo reported.He added that the aircraft sustained damage to its propeller at least.The pilot and passengers were set to be kept under observation at a hospital at Luederitz yesterday evening, and it was planned to fly them to Windhoek today for further medical treatment.Four Windhoek lawyers who had flown to Oranjemund to attend a court case at the diamond mining town were on board. They are Deon Obbes, Frank Koepplinger, Carli Schickerling and Dee Sauls.They reportedly emerged from the accident shocked and sore, but otherwise not seriously injured.The aircraft’s pilot, whose name could not be established, was injured, though, and is feared to have suffered a broken back.The aircraft was supposed to land at Luederitz to take in fuel on its way from Oranjemund to Windhoek, Koepplinger said when he was contacted at Luederitz early yesterday evening.Koepplinger related that the plane was already descending on approach to the airport when the pilot announced: “Tighten your belts.”A loud bang followed, as the plane made a sudden crash landing.The aircraft appeared to have experienced a sudden engine failure, Koepplinger said.He said while he and the other passengers were experiencing body aches after the event, they did not otherwise appear to be seriously hurt.Their pilot, however, may have suffered a more serious back injury.According to Titus Shuungula, an aircraft accident investigator attached to the Directorate of Aircraft Accident Investigations in the Ministry of Works, Transport and Communications, an investigator from the Directorate was dispatched by air to Luederitz yesterday afternoon to investigate the incident.Shuungula said according to preliminary information available to him the pilot was the only person injured in the accident.He said he had been informed that the accident took place when the aircraft apparently landed short of the runway.According to Sikongo Haihambo, the Namibia Airports Company’s General Manager: Business Development, Marketing and Corporate Communication, his office was informed that the aircraft experienced a suspected engine failure and had to make an emergency landing about five kilometres south of Luederitz Airport at about 15h50.Emergency services personnel took the pilot and four passengers to a hospital at the town, Haihambo reported.He added that the aircraft sustained damage to its propeller at least.The pilot and passengers were set to be kept under observation at a hospital at Luederitz yesterday evening, and it was planned to fly them to Windhoek today for further medical treatment.
