A Qantas pilot is in a critical condition and another has been injured following a vintage plane crash in South Africa which killed two people.
The two pilots, identified as Ross Kelly and Douglas Haywood, were travelling in a 1954 era Convair CV-340 aircraft at the Wonderboom airport when the crash occurred on Tuesday afternoon, according to the Guardian.
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They were accompanied by 19 people including 16 passengers, two pilots and a flight engineer when the plane faltered soon after takeoff and collided with a building nearby, killing the flight engineer and a person in the building.
“There were a number of serious injuries with one fatal injury confirmed on the accident scene. In addition, three people who were on the ground were injured. One of them passed away this morning,” the South African Civil Aviation Authority said in a statement.
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The two Qantas pilots, both from Sydney, had been asked to be involved in the flight because of their work restoring a similar aircraft, as per the ABC.
Both had flown with the airline for more than 30 years, with a combined 37,000 hours of flying experience.
A Qantas spokesperson told the ABC that the news had shocked the pilot community.
“We were deeply upset to learn that two Qantas pilots, one current and one retired, were onboard the vintage aircraft involved in an accident in South Africa on Tuesday,” the statement said.
“They are currently in hospital being treated for serious injuries.
“This news has shocked the Qantas pilot community and everyone’s thoughts are with the families.
“We’ve reached out and are providing whatever support we can.”
Featured photo credit: AAP
