One killed in Eastern Cape plane crash

One person was killed when the light fixed plane he was travelling in crashed and caught fire in Kirkwood on Saturday morning.

Eastern Cape health spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo said  light fixed wing aeroplane landed between orange trees in a farm with the 50 year-old killed instantly.

"One person burnt beyond recognition, a 50 year old man tragically passed away.

"EMS rescue and the South African police services were among the respondents that were on the scene," he said.

Police spokesperson Sergeant Majola Nkohli confirmed a pilot died after his agricultural two-seater aircraft crashed while cropping orchards in Kirkwood around 6:20am on Saturday.

The name of the farmer is known to HeraldLIVE but has been withheld as not all his relatives might have been notified of his death.

Nkohli said: "It was alleged that a pilot of a two-seater agricultural aircraft was busy cropping orchards in Bushby Way, Sunny Bank (Kirkwood), when his aircraft crashed.

"An inquest docket was opened for further investigation."

He said investigators from the South African Civil Aviation Authority were also on their way to the scene.

This accident follows after an aircraft had an emergency landing a few metres before its landing zone in Jeffrey's Bay on Friday.

Father and son on the Friday escaped with minor injuries.uries.

PLEASE NOTE: This article has been updated

HeraldLIVE