A 43-year-old woman was killed when a helicopter crashed on a farm outside Patensie in the Eastern Cape on Monday morning.
According to police, the Robinson helicopter reportedly struck power lines before crashing onto Roodegrond Farm at around 07:45.
The pilot, who was believed to be spraying crops at the time, died instantly.
Inquest docket opened
Police spokesperson Warrant Officer Majola Nkohli said an inquest docket had been opened to investigate the cause of the crash.
“It is believed that the freak accident occurred when the helicopter was spraying crops,” he said, adding that the pilot’s identity would be released once formal identification was completed.
Private security company Exec Ops also responded, saying it could not release further details due to the ongoing investigation.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by this tragedy,” the company said in a statement.
Developing story
Patensie is a small farming town about 90km west of Gqeberha and 25km from Hankey, at the entrance to the Baviaanskloof Valley.
This developing news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.
