SA pilot dies after crashing plane on Botswana airfield in alleged suicide

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"At approximately 18h20 GMT on 23 March 2019 a 2016 Beechcraft Kingair B200 aircraft A2-MBM was involved in a ground impact incident resulting in the death of the pilot and the destruction of infrastructure at Matsieng Aerodrome in Botswana," the Matsieng Flying Club said in a statement on Saturday.

The pilot had been "an uninvited guest at a private function" at the club's facility at Matsieng Aerodrome, the club said. A South African pilot died after he crashed a plane into two buildings and more than a dozen parked vehicles at Matsieng Aerodrome in Botswana on Saturday. The man reportedly did not have permission to fly the plane.





"At approximately 18h15 the aircraft approached Matsieng Aerodrome from the direction of Sir Seretse Khama Airport and made a number of low-level fly pasts from different directions past the Club facilities next to the Air Traffic Control tower.





"Matsieng Flying Club members sensed that the pilot might have had an ulterior motive at the time and ordered an immediate evacuation of the club premises by the approximately fifty attendees.





"The final extreme low level run by the aircraft along runway 36 resulted in an impact with the Matsieng Flying Club facility at ground level.





"The Club facility and Matsieng ATC tower was destroyed on impact. The post impact fire destroyed 13 parked vehicles. There was no serious injury to any person in the vicinity of the accident scene," the club said.





It is believed that the man had been involved in a domestic dispute with his wife and had threatened to kill her.





Footage of the carnage has been widely circulated on social media.





IOL