Father, children survive helicopter crash
FRANCOISE STEYNBERG
WINDHOEK
Grootfontein businessman Jaco van Dyk (47) and his three children miraculously survived a helicopter crash in the mountains east of Windhoek yesterday.
Van Dyk, his daughters Cornelia (15) and Jolandie (13), and son Jacobus (12) were flown to the Lady Pohamba Private Hospital in Windhoek by police helicopter.
According to a family friend, he had talked to Van Dyk and two of the children and they were all in stable condition.
Van Dyk apparently sustained serious internal injuries while the children have bone fractures.
The MD600 helicopter crashed at 11:00 near Heja Lodge after the pilot had tried to make an emergency landing.
According to Oskar Plichta of the directorate of air accident investigations in the transport ministry, Van Dyk had left Grootfontein at 09:00 and was in contact with air traffic control at Eros Airport in Windhoek, where he had planned to land.
The pilot informed the control tower that he had to make an emergency landing but the mountainous terrain did not offer safe landing options, Plichta said.
When the investigator arrived at the scene, he found the four occupants at the wreckage, which was torn apart by the force of the impact.
Van Dyk was in a critical condition and the children were seriously injured but all of them were conscious, Plichta said.
A family friend, Wanda Esterhuizen, said they were shocked by the news because Van Dyk is an experienced pilot.
The children's mother, Cornelia, lives at Swakopmund, she said.
Van Dyk is the owner of Van Dyk Petroleum at Grootfontein and his children are enrolled at the private school Grootfontein Agri College.
Van Dyk is also a well-known rally driver. Together with navigator Michael Rust, he won the off-road section of the Total Tara rally in 2019 and 2018.
[email protected]
WINDHOEK
Grootfontein businessman Jaco van Dyk (47) and his three children miraculously survived a helicopter crash in the mountains east of Windhoek yesterday.
Van Dyk, his daughters Cornelia (15) and Jolandie (13), and son Jacobus (12) were flown to the Lady Pohamba Private Hospital in Windhoek by police helicopter.
According to a family friend, he had talked to Van Dyk and two of the children and they were all in stable condition.
Van Dyk apparently sustained serious internal injuries while the children have bone fractures.
The MD600 helicopter crashed at 11:00 near Heja Lodge after the pilot had tried to make an emergency landing.
According to Oskar Plichta of the directorate of air accident investigations in the transport ministry, Van Dyk had left Grootfontein at 09:00 and was in contact with air traffic control at Eros Airport in Windhoek, where he had planned to land.
The pilot informed the control tower that he had to make an emergency landing but the mountainous terrain did not offer safe landing options, Plichta said.
When the investigator arrived at the scene, he found the four occupants at the wreckage, which was torn apart by the force of the impact.
Van Dyk was in a critical condition and the children were seriously injured but all of them were conscious, Plichta said.
A family friend, Wanda Esterhuizen, said they were shocked by the news because Van Dyk is an experienced pilot.
The children's mother, Cornelia, lives at Swakopmund, she said.
Van Dyk is the owner of Van Dyk Petroleum at Grootfontein and his children are enrolled at the private school Grootfontein Agri College.
Van Dyk is also a well-known rally driver. Together with navigator Michael Rust, he won the off-road section of the Total Tara rally in 2019 and 2018.
[email protected]
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