Gyrocopter pilot was drunk
Investigations have found that a 40-year-old pilot who crashed a gyrocopter on 17 December 2020 just outside of Windhoek was not only medically unfit to fly, but was also drunk.
This information is contained in the final report by the Directorate of Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigations.
It said the pilot did not have a valid licence to fly the aircraft because he had failed to obtain a medical fitness certificate.
“The last medical assessment done declared the pilot medically unfit on 23 June 2020,” according to the report. An appeal on this decision was still ongoing at the time of the accident.
A passenger was killed in the crash while the pilot, Pierre Blaauw, died the following day in hospital from extensive injuries. The passenger was identified as Donbaldt Noa, the son of Anti-Corruption Commission director general Paulus Noa.
According to the report, the pilot and passenger entered the aerodrome security restricted area without any security checks or clearance.
Investigations also revealed that they were in possession of several units of alcohol, which included beer and whisky, and “were already in an intoxicated state and continued to consume alcohol at the private hangar”.
Burst into flames
The crash occurred at about 14:20 between Klein Windhoek and the Kappsfarm road block on the Hosea Kutako International Airport main road, about 15km from Windhoek.
Investigators found that the Namibian-registered gyrocopter took off from Eros airport at around 14:02 for a private flight, flying over Heja Lodge and returning to the airport.
The flight was cleared by air traffic control for an altitude of 7 000 feet, with only the pilot and one passenger on board, the report read.
“The gyrocopter hit power lines, crash-landed on the road and burst into flames. It was consumed by the fire before the arrival of the fire fighters about 30 minutes later.”
The power lines, approximately 20 to 30 feet from the ground, are well below the cleared altitude of 7 000 feet, the report noted.
It added that the engine of the gyrocopter had no mechanical defects and it had all the required aviation licencing needed to fly.
This information is contained in the final report by the Directorate of Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigations.
It said the pilot did not have a valid licence to fly the aircraft because he had failed to obtain a medical fitness certificate.
“The last medical assessment done declared the pilot medically unfit on 23 June 2020,” according to the report. An appeal on this decision was still ongoing at the time of the accident.
A passenger was killed in the crash while the pilot, Pierre Blaauw, died the following day in hospital from extensive injuries. The passenger was identified as Donbaldt Noa, the son of Anti-Corruption Commission director general Paulus Noa.
According to the report, the pilot and passenger entered the aerodrome security restricted area without any security checks or clearance.
Investigations also revealed that they were in possession of several units of alcohol, which included beer and whisky, and “were already in an intoxicated state and continued to consume alcohol at the private hangar”.
Burst into flames
The crash occurred at about 14:20 between Klein Windhoek and the Kappsfarm road block on the Hosea Kutako International Airport main road, about 15km from Windhoek.
Investigators found that the Namibian-registered gyrocopter took off from Eros airport at around 14:02 for a private flight, flying over Heja Lodge and returning to the airport.
The flight was cleared by air traffic control for an altitude of 7 000 feet, with only the pilot and one passenger on board, the report read.
“The gyrocopter hit power lines, crash-landed on the road and burst into flames. It was consumed by the fire before the arrival of the fire fighters about 30 minutes later.”
The power lines, approximately 20 to 30 feet from the ground, are well below the cleared altitude of 7 000 feet, the report noted.
It added that the engine of the gyrocopter had no mechanical defects and it had all the required aviation licencing needed to fly.
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