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By Mervyn Naidoo, True Freedom 
2h ago
Durban: A Netcare 911 helicopter crashed into open ground in Winterton, northern KZN, after the tail of the craft detached from the fuselage in midair and burst into flames on impact Thursday.
Later, rescue personnel found the charred remains of four of the helicopter’s occupants, while a fifth person, who was thrown from the craft, was also pronounced dead at the crash site.
Dr. Kgopotso Rudolph Mononyane, a cardiothoracic surgeon, was among those who died.
That same day, he had partnered with other doctors and attempted to resuscitate the minister in the presidency, Jackson Mthembu, before dying from complications related to Covid-19.
Mononyane, Dr. Siyabonga Mahlangu, Nurse Mpho Xaba, Paramedic Sinjin Joshua Farrance and pilot Mark Stoxreiter, who worked for National Airways Corporation, were traveling to a hospital in Hillcrest when they crashed around 1:20 p.m.
Freddie Hallgreen, chief of fire, emergency services and disaster management in Okhahlamba Township, was the first of the emergency services personnel to arrive at the scene.
“According to three eyewitnesses, the helicopter was flying about 200 feet above the ground when it broke up in midair.
“That sounds pretty good because helicopters generally travel 200 to 500 feet off the ground,” Hallgreen said.
He said the helicopter was engulfed in flames and that when his fire trucks arrived at the scene, they just had to put out the flames.
Hallgreen said he was part of a large group search over the past two days, which was led by members of the South African Civil Aviation Authority, for clues and parts.
“We have located all the blades and they are all in different stages of disintegration. We also did a great search for the tail rotor. That could not have caused the accident, as some speculated that we found it intact. “
Hallgreen said the flight path the unfortunate Netcare helicopter was on was a common path used by helicopters flying between Johannesburg and Durban.
The helicopter crashed into the Kopleegte estate near the Winterton-colenso exit ramp, about 500 meters from the busy N3 motorway.
The thick smell of gasoline still hung in the air when some of Stoxreiter’s former colleagues visited the crash site yesterday.
Carmen Stone and Steve Writing, both Howick residents, said they had known Stoxreiter for many years and that their association with him dated back to the days when they worked for the Kwazulu-natal Fire Protection Association.
Stone, a seasoned pilot and firefighter, said they were devastated after losing a “kind and skilled professional.”
“Mark did a firefighting stint with us before moving to Johannesburg and worked as a Netcare 911 pilot for many years,” Stone said.
Writing, also a pilot said that he would also miss his old colleague (Stoxreiter) very much.
He said they drove to the scene to “close the gap” because Mark was a good and experienced driver who was familiar with handling difficult situations.
“It is sad to lose professionals like doctors, pilots and others. They undergo intensive training for years to improve their skills. It will never be easy to fill the void left ”.
A nearby rancher, Marietjie Warden, and her friend Eric Freshwater said they were enjoying a relaxed day when the “big bang” took them outside.
“They died instantly after landing hard on the ground. We called emergency services for medical assistance, ”Freshwater said.
Kabelo Ledwaba’s spokesperson at the South African Civil Aviation Authority said: “Since the accident occurred, the team of aviation accident and incident investigators have been on the scene daily gathering evidence that will help determine the cause of the accident.” .
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