Families mourn plane crash victims

While aviation authorities are working around the clock to determine how a small aircraft crashed into a residential neighbourhood in Windhoek on Friday, community members are drumming up support for the three affected families.

A Cessna 406 aircraft, owned and operated by Westair, plummeted into a house on Friday afternoon in Pioneers Park soon after taking off from Eros Airport for a test flight, killing all three aboard. The plane crashed and caught fire in Rieckmann Street just after 17:00.

It’s still not clear what caused the crash, and with the transport ministry’s director of accident and incident investigations Magnus Abraham having announced over the weekend that there is no recording of the last moments on board the light aircraft, investigators will have their hands full.

Abraham confirmed that there was no equipment on board that recorded the crew’s last words or any information from the flight.

“It’s not required by law for this type of aircraft,” he said.

The three deceased have been identified as pilot Rozanne de Beer-Olivier (33), her co-pilot Ruan van Schalkwyk (24) and an aircraft engineer Armand Lubbe (25). All three were employed by Westair.

Since the accident, tributes for the three victims and messages of encouragement for their loved ones have poured in.

Lubbe’s alma mater, Windhoek High School (WHS), wrote on its Facebook page: “Armand’s infectious smile and zest for life touched the hearts of all who knew him. He leaves a legacy of kindness and resilience that will never be forgotten.

WHS will forever cherish the memories and footprints of Armand’s time with us at the blue school”.

Armand got engaged to his girlfriend, Lara Engelbrecht, last September.

According to a source, De Beer-Olivier, who has worked at Westair since 2017, logged more than 1 000 flight hours in a Cessna 406.

A former colleague described her as “very good at her job and incredibly disciplined”.

She was a South African citizen who met her husband, Phillip - also an experienced pilot from South Africa - during her time in Namibia.

The youngest of the three victims, Van Schalkwyk, only joined Westair a year ago.

“Ruan was nothing less than a fantastic person. He always made time for everyone who was special in his life and was everyone’s best friend. He never had a bad word to say about anyone. As a family, we are broken and our hearts will never be whole again. We choose to remember Ruan for the kind-hearted person he was, always full of jokes,” his sister Robin van Schalkwyk said.

Van Schalkwyk and his long-term girlfriend Suné met in high school. They reportedly had plans to get married, and looked forward to growing old together.

“Rest easy, little brother. You now have your real angel wings, fly high.”

‘They will be missed’

“This tragic incident has affected all of us at Westair deeply and personally and we extend our deepest condolences to all those affected by this tragic loss. Our hearts and deepest sympathies go out to the family and loved ones of Rozanne, Ruan and Armand. They will be greatly missed,” a statement issued by Westair on Saturday read.

The Namibia Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) also expressed its condolences to the families and friends affected by the incident.

Investigation

Abraham yesterday confirmed that the wreckage of the plane had been moved to their facilities at the Eros airport.

“We can assure that we will determine the causes and contributing factors together with our partners and the manufacturers.”

Westair also assured the public that a comprehensive investigation had been launched in collaboration with security experts and the relevant authorities. “We are determined to ensure that all necessary steps are taken to prevent such an incident from happening again.

“The safety and well-being of our passengers and crew is our highest priority, and we are committed to understanding the exact cause of this incident,” its statement read.