GWANDA – The cause of the helicopter crash that killed one person in Gwanda is yet to be ascertained. The Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ) says it will only speak when the investigations have been concluded.
CAAZ Acting General Manager, Joakim Bango told the state run ZBC TV that inspectors were sent to the crash site to make investigations and will only speak when the report on the tragedy has been obtained.
The accident which occurred in Gwanda last Sunday resulted in the death of Beitbridge businessman, Christian Malila (55). Investigations are being carried out by experts from CAAZ, the Zimbabwe Republic Police and their South African counterparts.
The body parts of businessman were strewn up to 50m from the crash site after he’d apparently tried to jump from the chopper, witnesses said. Ndou, the owner of a security company in Beitbridge, was alone in the American Robinson R44 chopper when it went down near Gwanda.
It is thought that the helicopter’s rotor blades struck his body as he jumped and it took police several hours to locate and collect his missing body parts. Malila was thrown out of his helicopter after it developed a mechanical fault and flipped mid-air before it crashed and burned.
