MEC raises doubts about Plett airport

Johannesburg - The SABC reports Western Cape Transport MEC Robin Carlisle as saying Plettenberg airport was badly run in the wake of the Italtile aircraft crash.

Johannesburg - Plettenberg Bay Airport needed to be closed down if it had anything to do with the plane crash that claimed the lives of nine people, Western Cape Transport MEC Robin Carlisle told the SABC on Thursday.

"No one knows what caused the accident. What we do know is that the Plettenberg Bay Airport is badly run. It has been for a number of years," he said.

"It has been the subject of all kinds of accusations of corruption. They don't have any radio beacon operating at the moment and they don't have any air control.

"My concern is that if the airport had anything to do with the tragic accident, we need to close it down quickly."

The aircraft was travelling from Queenstown to Plettenberg Bay when it crashed while trying to land near the Robberg Nature Reserve in heavy fog on Tuesday.

Eight bodies were recovered and identified on Thursday.

Only one more person was unaccounted for, Italtile CEO Gianpaolo Ravazzotti. Divers were still searching for his body.

The others were Gia Celori, Aletsia Krause and Marilize Compion of Italtile, Sava Di Bella of Prima Bella Bathroom Accessories, Simon Hirschberg of Grainwave, Jody Jansen van Rensburg of CTM Alberton, pilot Bronwyn Parsons and co-pilot Alison van Staden.

An investigation was being carried out by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

In a statement on Wednesday, the CAA said the aircraft, a Pilatus PC12, took off from the Queenstown Aerodrome at 3pm on Tuesday and was to have landed at the Plettenberg Bay Aerodrome just after 4pm.

"Information at this stage indicates that, shortly after being handed over to the Cape Town radar control, and at approximately 5km away from Plettenberg Bay Aerodrome, the aircraft went off radar," the CAA said.