MICROLIGHT CRASH VICTIMS IDENTIFIED
Light aircraft fell to earth and burst into flames shortly after take-off
A PILOT and his passenger, who died when the light aircraft they were in crashed just after take-off from a private airstrip near Durbanville yesterday, have been identified.
They were microlight flying instructor Trygve Skorge, 50, of Cape Town and Anton Jonker, 27, of Table View.
Skorge operated his company, Aquila Microlight Safaris, from a private airstrip on the farm of Wintervogel, where the craft crashed shortly after take-off yesterday morning at 6.30am.
The plane burst into flames after impact.
Jonker’s brother, who has not been named, was at the airstrip at the time and would have flown after him, said farm owner Andries W van Dijk yesterday afternoon.
“It was terrible. He was very shocked. They heard a loud bang and rushed to go have a look. They found the aircraft engulfed in flames,” Van Dijk said.
Van Dijk said Skorge’s mother, who lives in Cape Town, and sister, who was on holiday here from Joburg, also later arrived at the scene.
Skorge had rented a shed and the use of the airstrip, Van Dijk said.
Wintervogel is near the R304 between Klipheuwel and Stellenbosch and falls within the Swartland Municipality.
Police from Malmesbury and Philadelphia were at the scene.
Skorge not only flew microlights professionally, but also described himself as a photographer, actor and artist.
He was known for acting the role of Vincent van Gogh in a television advertisement recently.
On his Facebook page, the former Swede had posted numerous photographs, including aerial pictures taken while flying, and several self-portraits and photographs taken during a visit to a Masai village in Kenya.
There were also some photographs he posted of works of art he created.
According to people who knew Skorge on the farm, he had a son who lived in Germany, but he was single.
Jonker lived in Table View, but originally came from Edenvale in Gauteng.
Witnesses said the plane crashed almost immediately after take-off.
Police liaison officer Warrant Officer November Filander said the aircraft had burst into flames after impact. The wreckage lay on open ground near the edge of the airfield. No buildings were damaged.
Police would open an inquest docket, but the whole investigation was to be taken over by the Civil Aviation Authority, Filander said.