Crosswind possible cause of plane crash

A sudden crosswind is the most likely cause of a plane crash involving a trainee pilot and a training aircraft of Swakopmund Flying School on Saturday.

The Piper Cherokee (V5-KAI) came down at around noon on Saturday next to the runway on the Roidina Nature Reserve some 20km north of Omaruru.
According to the civil aviation authority the pilot was on a navigation flight and had to perform a “touch and go” maneuver at Roidina before flying to the Uis airstrip where he had to perform the same before flying back to Swakopmund.
At Roidina the pilot touched down and immediately accelerated to take off again. At a height of around ten feet the plane was caught in a crosswind and the pilot lost directional control of his craft.
The plane crashed into trees and shrubs next to the runway.
The pilot sustained head injuries, as well as other injuries and was taken by car to the Omaruru state hospital.
From there he was rushed by ambulance to Swakopmund and admitted to the Cottage MediClinic.

Note: the Aircraft Accident Unit of the Depart of Civil Aviation in the Ministry of Works and Transport investigates the accident and will publish its findings in an accident report in the foreseeable future.