Search continues for the missing plane, two men
Prayers for aviator Waterson and his technical assistant
BY LATE yesterday the search continued for a missing light aircraft piloted by Gonubie pilot John Waterson. According to police, the two-seater Savannah plane, with Waterson and one of his employees, known only as Gerald, on board, had been on a test flight and was returning from Morgan Bay towards a private landing strip in Gonubie.
The aircraft was last seen at 3pm on Wednesday and was reported missing at 7pm that evening.
Waterson’s elder brother Clee Waterson, said the family had been praying since Wednesday evening. “We keep on just hoping because it is a long time since we heard from him. We don’t know what to think and so we are trying to be as positive as possible. We are praying and believing. We cannot be negative,” he said.
Clee said his brother and his wife Anne have four children aged between 10 and 21 who were all anxiously awaiting news. Clee explained that his 59-year-old brother had been due back from a test flight to Morgan Bay at 2.30pm on Wednesday.
“He and his technical guy Gerald took off from his runway called Robertsvale, which is next door to the brickfields near Gonubie.”
He said his brother was well known in South Africa’s aviation industry because he imported Savannah light aircraft in kit form and built them for clients all over Africa.
The Aeronautical Rescue and Coordination Centre (ARCC) is conducting the air and ground search with assistance from the East London EMS, police airwing and members of the community.
However, ARCC spokesman Percy Morokane said bad weather had impacted the search.
“No flight plan was filed and from information gathered, the aircraft took off from an unmanned private airstrip and there was no communication between the pilot and the air traffic controller. This and other related information forms part of the investigation by the South African Civil Aviation Authority, ” he said
Reports from community members had indicated that they had seen an aircraft of similar description in the Komga area but the search yielded nothing.
The search resumes today.