The Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ) has revealed that fuel spilled on impact when a helicopter went down in Marondera, sparking a fire that torched grass at the crash site, but the cause of the disaster remains a mystery.
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Read E-PaperCAAZ Director-General George Mashababe said preliminary findings point to a post-impact fuel spillage, followed by a blaze that swept the surrounding vegetation.
“Preliminary findings show that fuel spilled on impact, followed by a fire that burnt the grass at the crash site,” said Mashababe.
Crucially, DG Mashababe said investigators have not yet established what brought the aircraft down.
“The cause of the crash is yet to be ascertained,” he said.
The crash, which occurred yesterday around 1700 hours in Marondera Rural claimed five lives. Businessman Wicknell Chivayo, his wife Lucy Muteke, two pilots, and a security aide were killed in the accident.
The DG’s statement is the first official preliminary finding from aviation authorities since the tragedy, with investigations ongoing.
