The
Civil Aviation Authority wishes to take this opportunity to express its
sincerest condolences to the families and all those who have been touched by
the loss of lives from the two accidents that occurred on 8 June 2003.
As the
aircraft accident investigators continue to gather information on the
accidents, the CAA has also invited the manufacturer of Bell helicopters and
the engine manufacturer Rolls Royce to participate in the investigation of the
Bell 407 helicopter. Investigators from the two companies are expected to
arrive in South Africa on 13 June 2003.
The CAA has also accepted an offer from the United States National
Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
Participation of these foreign organizations is part of international
cooperation provided for under the International Civil Aviation Organization
(ICAO).
In the
meantime the CAA has arranged for removal of the helicopter wreckage from the
accident site today, 11 June 2003 to Rand Airport where the wreckage will be
examined in detail to find clues on, among others, mechanical and operational
events that led to the impact of the aircraft with the ground. The CAA has
allocated resources required to ensure an expeditious investigation, and we are
hopeful that a report will available in a short period of time. The CAA recognizes the role of members of the
public in these investigations, and appeals to all those who might have
information that can aid the investigations to contact Dr Andre de Kock on 082 809 2429.
The objective
of the CAA in investigating aircraft accidents is not to apportion blame, but
to determine what happened, how and why, so as to inform measures to prevent
similar accidents and enhance civil aviation safety in general. We also recognize the importance of
completing the investigation and releasing the report at the shortest possible
time, not only in the interest of safety but the interest of those who lost
their loved ones. We remain mindful however, not to permit haste to compromise
the all more important quality of the investigations,
said Seboseso Machobane,
General Manager: Air Safety Infrastructure.
Typically,
the what, how and why of an accident are hardly ever a matter of this one
factor or that, but a chain of events none of which should be missed or
ignored. Our approach therefore is the big picture, not the “smoking gun.” We
know that visibility was poor and the cloud was low in the area around the time
of the accidents. However, these weather conditions do not by themselves
necessarily cause accidents. The investigation process will determine the
place, if any, of these factors in the accidents’ chain of events.
“We will do our best to get to
the bottom of the matter in the shortest practical time,” reassures Mr. Zukile Nomvete, Chairman:
Accidents and Incidents Investigation Committee of the Board
Issued by: Seboseso Machobane
Civil Aviation Authority