A man was killed after being hit by a plane’s wing in a freak accident.
- A man died after being struck by the wing of an aircraft that was attempting to land at Graskop Aerodrome on Monday morning.
- He was one of four men walking to work at a nearby factory in the area.
- Both the police and Civil Aviation Authority are investigating the case.
A man who moments earlier warned his colleagues about an incoming airplane that was landing at the Graskop Aerodrome was killed in a freak accident on Monday when the craft’s wing struck him.
The man, whose name has not been released yet, was killed on Monday at around 07:00 while he and three others were on their way to work.
The four are employed at a light industry factory located near the airport.
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According to Mpumalanga provincial police spokesperson Brigadier Leonard Hlathi, they saw the plane coming in to land and moved away from the landing strip.
‘Misjudged’
“It appears as if the victim misjudged the distance between him and the wing of the craft and he was struck against the head.”
The man was killed on impact.
The landing strip is usually used as a forward firefighting air base for Working on Fire as well as the Lowveld and Escarpment Fire Protection Agency.
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However, the plane, a Piper Cherokee P28-181 Arrow, does not belong to either of these agencies.
According to Hlathi, all four men are from Gauteng and only recently started working in Graskop.
News24 understands the pilot tried warning the four men during his approach.
An inquest docket has been opened.
Kabelo Ledwaba, on behalf of the Civil Aviation Authority, said it was also investigating the incident.
