By Dean Wingrin

 

A South African Air Force (SAAF) Museum aircraft crashed near AFB Swartkop this morning.

 

An eyewitness stated that the aircraft, a Patchen Explorer, flew over his house “sputtering badly, maybe carb icing (conditions are prefect for icing) went in short of 02.”

 

Flames engulfed the wreckage and unconfirmed reports state that the two crew on board were killed.

 

The single-engined Explorer was developed for pipeline patrol operation, aerial photography and law enforcement agencies. The prototype was shipped to South Africa and evaluated by the SAAF's Test Flight and Development Centre for use as a light recon forward air control aircraft, but was not quite what was required. As a result it languished in a hangar for many years before being donated to the SAAF Museum.

 

The Explorer, serial 2000, was part of the SAAF Museum Historic Flight.

 

This is a developing story.