Eyewitness: 'Pilot swerved to avoid us'

Jonathan Styer, an eyewitness to the plane crash landing just south of Thembalethu at about 10:00 on Saturday morning, was driving home on a quiet dirt road when he saw the plane descending in their direction.

- Chelsea Pieterse and Alida de Beer

Styer said the plane was flown to the field next to the road. He told his passengers to phone an ambulance, because an accident was about to happen. “As I jumped out, the plane crashed to the ground, and I ran to see if they were OK.”

An ambulance quickly arrived on the scene on Potgieter Farm and took the pilot and passenger to hospital.

Shortly after the crash, Styer told Group Editors' head of digital, Ilse Schoonraad, and cameraman Cameron Squire, who arrived on the scene, that he was convinced the pilot had swerved to avoid his vehicle.

“My little girl of two was also with us in my Getz. I am sure the pilot was aiming for the road to make an emergency landing, but turned to avoid colliding with us.”