Werner Menges
1 February 2008
Windhoek — NAMIBIA's aviation safety authorities have grounded all the aircraft of the aviation company that owned the aeroplane that crashed in Windhoek with the loss of six lives three weeks ago.
The Air Operation Certificates of both Atlantic Aviation, the Swakopmund-based company that owned the Cessna 210 aircraft that crashed in Windhoek on January 11, and of a sister company, Pleasure Flights & Safaris, were suspended for two weeks last week, the Deputy Director of Aviation Safety and Security in the Ministry of Works, Transport and Communication, Larry Makanza, confirmed to The Namibian yesterday.
The suspension stems from worries about the safety standards being adhered to by the two companies, Makanza said.
"We have very genuine safety concerns," he remarked.
He added that a recommendation has also been made for the companies' Air Operation Certificates to remain suspended for a further two months, while a safety review focusing on their activities and continuous safety training - or the lack of it - being given to their pilots is carried out.
The Director of Civil Aviation will finally have to decide whether the certificates are to remain suspended or not, Makanza indicated.
Preliminary indications are that the accident in which an Atlantic Aviation Cessna 210 crashed in Windhoek's Olympia suburb three weeks ago "was an accident that was not supposed to happen", Makanza said.
The aircraft was piloted by a 24-year-old South African pilot, Daniel Marais, who was also employed by Atlantic Aviation.
The pilot and five Israeli passengers were killed when their plane crashed shortly after taking off from Eros Airport.
Makanza said it "boggles the mind" that the pilot had decided to take off from Eros Airport using one of the airport's shorter runways, on a hot day and with a fully laden aircraft.
He said experienced pilots are well aware of the fact that aircraft perform less powerfully at higher altitudes like at Eros Airport than at sea level such as at Swakopmund, with the result that this would have to be kept in mind when a heavily laden aeroplane takes off from the Windhoek city airport.
With the cause of the January 11 crash still under investigation, another Atlantic Aviation pilot and aircraft are claimed to have been involved in another incident that raised worries about safety at the aviation company last week.
In the latest incident, one of the company's aircraft was reported to have been seen in the Outjo area flying at an altitude so dangerously low that it was initially feared that the plane had also crashed, Makanza said.
He said the aircraft is claimed to have flown as low as the height of a car.
The flying licence of a South African pilot who was in control of that aircraft, which later landed safely at Swakopmund, was suspended on Wednesday this week, according to Makanza.
He said it was "just not acceptable" to have had a second incident within two weeks involving an aircraft and pilot of the same company.
"It shows a level of indiscipline that just cannot be tolerated," he said.
Of the nine pilots being employed at Atlantic Aviation, eight are from South Africa, Makanza said.
The owner of Atlantic Aviation, Bernd Goebel, did not wish to comment when he was contacted by The Namibian yesterday.
Additional reporting by Adam Hartman.
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