Authorities have confirmed the recovery of a light aircraft that went missing on Sunday afternoon after departing from Durban's Virginia Airport. Tragically, the bodies of all three occupants, including the pilot, have been found at the crash site.
The aircraft was en route to Ladysmith in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands when it disappeared. According to the Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre (ARCC), the plane was last tracked flying over Ladysmith and heading south toward Greytown.
KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport and Human Settlements, Siboniso Duma, earlier confirmed that his department was working closely with the ARCC to locate the missing aircraft. Search and rescue operations were launched shortly after the plane failed to arrive at its destination.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation as authorities begin efforts to determine what led to the tragic incident.