Missing Aircraft, Old History

[NewGroundPounder]

In the 80's, a foreign plane, Belgian I think, flew down to Cape Town.
Bad weather forced them to overnight in Robertson.
Against all advice, they chose to continue the next morning, took off, and was never heard of again, or so I believe.

My interest ?
I was stuck in snow halfway up Jonaskop, and we heard an aircraft, subjectively quite low, flying in a Northerly direction.
Not too sure what CTH was that day, but I'm very sure they would have been in cloud.
30 minutes later, on our way down, we heard a news report that a light aircraft, flying from Robertson to Cape Town was missing.
South to North, directly over Jonaskop, definitely NOT a safe route.
To this day I regret not having an Airband handheld with me.
If it was that plane, and they could keep it straight and level, I could have talked them down into clear air, and a safe landing at Worcester.

[Jean Crous]

I recall a wreck being found in that area some years ago. Was it maybe that one ?
Jean.

[BvW]

Not the remains of that AC if I am correct. I know of an ATC/pilot/accident investigator who is looking for the remains of that AC by the name of Gerhardt Nell.
He has spend lots and lots of hours looking for it.

[Funflier]

Hello fellow aviators. Yes, I have spent a lot of time and energy trying to locate this missing Beech Baron (including 3 expeditions)...still to no avail. Having recently acquired satellite and survey photos of the area...the search continues. I did find another wreck in the search area, which turned out to be another accident (suicide) from many years ago. I have personally studied the suspected area from the air and hope to be dropped in the area by SAAF helicopter soon. I would really appreciate any assistance/ suggestions from possible witnesses. Kindly contact me on Cel Zero Eight Three 641 7730 or send a PM. Gerhardt Nell.

[rare bird]

hi Gerhardt!
welcome to Avcom!

do you have any "more-or-less" details of the area, presumed flight path etc? (I understand Robertson area?)
A friend of mine was also keen to look for the wreck of the Shackleton in the Hottentots Holland mountains.

do you still supply your video DVD on Adverse weather?

[Funflier]

Hello again. Yip, still producing Aviation Safety Videos... many copies of the Wx -related ones available. I have been to the Shackleton site at least 10 times.. many pictures (and small momentos) to show. Will gladly help others plan a trip there. GN

[Deanw]

A friend of mine was also keen to look for the wreck of the Shackleton in the Hottentots Holland mountains.

I've been to the wreck of Shackleton 1718 in the Stettynsberg mountains (via SAAF helicopter), whilst friends have hiked there. Nothing much left other than small shards of metal.

[Peterstuyvesant]

Here's some more info:

http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=17719

[Peterstuyvesant]

From Die Burger archives:

Vermiste vlieënier dood verklaar

Deur Ons Hooggeregshofverslaggewer DIE vlieënier van die ligte passasiersvliegtuig wat in Julie verlede jaar in 'n hewige sneeu- en haelstorm in die berge tussen Robertson en Kaapstad soek geraak het, mnr. Yves Walter Marie Hamoir (53), is gister in die Kaapse Hooggeregshof dood verklaar. Mnr. Hamoir, 'n vriendin, mev. P. Cartiaux, en 'n pas getroude egpaar, mnr. en mev. F. Ceulemans, wat hul wittebrood in die Kaap wou kom deurbring, was saam in die Beechcraft Baron 58 van Zaïre na Kaapstad onderweg. Hulle het op 10 Julie op Robertson se lughawe geland en in 'n plaaslike hotel oornag. Die volgende oggend het hulle in 'n tierende storm ondanks waarskuwings opgestyg. Hulle is nooit weer gesien nie en 'n land- en lug-soektog van byna 'n week deur die Lugmag, die Polisie, burgerlike beskermingsorganisasies en bergklubs het niks opgelewer nie. Mnr. M.H.T. Hamoir (28) van Tollembeek, België, seun van die vlieënier wat die aansoek voor regter Pat Tebbutt ingedien het, het in 'n beëdigde verklaring aangevoer dat dit nodig is dat sy vader amptelik dood verklaar word sodat sy boedel afgehandel kan word. Die prokureur wat sy vader se sake hanteer, weier om die testament vry te stel as mnr. Hamoir nie dood verklaar word nie. Onder die bates is 'n huis in Bellville en een op Hermanus. Volgens mnr. Hamoir was sy vader, wat in Zaïre gesetel was, voornemens om hom heeltyds in Suid-Afrika te vestig.

Translated with Google Translate:

Missing pilot declared dead

By Our Supreme Court Reporter THE pilot of the light passenger aircraft went missing in July last year in a fierce snow and hail in the mountains between Robertson and Cape Town, Mr. Yves Marie Walter Hamoirlaan (53), were declared dead in the Cape High Court. Mr. Hamoirlaan, a friend, Mrs. P. Cartiaux, and a newly married couple, Mr. and Mrs. F. Ceulemans, who wanted to spend their honeymoon in Cape Town, was joined in the Beechcraft Baron 58 of Zaire to Cape Town. They landed on Robertson's airport on July 10 and in a local hotel overnight. The next morning they took off in a raging storm despite warnings. They were never seen again and a land and air search of nearly a week by the Air Force, the police, civil defense organizations and mountain clubs to no avail. Mr. MHT Hamoirlaan (28) of Tollembeek, Belgium, son of the pilot who has submitted the application before Judge Pat Tebbutt, said in a sworn statement argued that it is necessary that his father be declared officially dead and his estate is settled. The attorney handling his father's affairs, refused to release the will as Mr. Hamoirlaan not be declared dead. Among the assets is a house in Belleville and one in Hermanus. According to Mr. Hamoirlaan was his father, who was working in Zaire, intends to establish himself full time in South Africa.

Source: http://152.111.1.87/argief/berigte/dieb ... 2/3/4.html

[Diesel-3]

Surely after this amount of time with not a trace, the only place the Baron could be is underwater?

[rare bird]

I have a picture (attached) of an aerie that took 3 weeks to find - and it was within a few hundred metres of the main road! Happened in Mpumalanga (then Eastern Transvaal) about 25 years ago - tried to land on the road, but there was too much traffic - so he went in next to the road. He managed to egress and crawl up to the main road where a passing motorist took him to hospital. Even though he remembered more - or - less where it happened, it took three weeks to find it.
In this case of the Belgian Baron, the terrain is very inhospitable. Quite easy to sukkel to find it even without being underwater. I agree that water would make it tens of times more complicated.

[Funflier]

I could probably write a complete book on the effort and research that have gone into this search already.

ZS-JTN seen from the air.jpg

JTN seen from the air.jpg

Have a look a attached pics showing how I found another wreck (ZS-JTN) in the search area and how I visited the crash site afterwards...
On site.

ZS-JTN on site.jpg

[Ray W]

This info is really fascinating - my info says

ZS-JTN Piper PA-28-151 Cherokee Warrior N4398X 04.03.1976 W/o near Robertson, 13.07.1979.
28-7615055 Canx/c 26.07.1979.

I don't have a photo of this aircraft.

[Funflier]

Oh, sorry for deviating slightly again. Here is a old pic showing that my connection with Shackleton 1718 started more than 35 years ago...

[Funflier]

Here is a portion of a survey photo that was taken in the area recently. See if you can spot the object that I would like to inspect close-up...