Chilling video from inside Convair crash

Steve Creedy

By Steve Creedy Wed Jul 18, 2018

Chilling video has emerged from inside the Convair 340 that crashed in Pretoria last week showing the aircraft struggling to turn back to the airport after engine problems. The video, taken on an iPhone, shows smoke streaming and flames from one of the engines, and somebody saying “It’s getting bad, it’s getting very, very bad”. In the background, somebody shouts: “Make sure you’re strapped in, strap in” just before the planes crashes. The video continues after the plane crashes into a factory. Qantas pilot Douglas Haywood and retired Qantas captain Ross Kelly are believed to have been flying the plane and Mr Kelly’s wife was also on board. All three were seriously injured but the prognosis was said to be optimistic in a Facebook post this week by the owner of the aircraft, Rovos Rail. The pilots had a combined 37,000 hours flying experience and the news shocked the Qantas pilot community in Australia. The Australians are among 19 passengers and crew injured when the vintage aircraft, registered  ZS-BRV, has crashed during a test flight out of Wonderboom Airport, near the city of Pretoria in South Africa. One crew member, South African Chris Barnard, was killed in the crash and a worker from a factory hit by the aircraft has since died. According to Aviation-Safety.net the aircraft, which has 20 aboard, had been donated by the owner, Rovos Air, to the Dutch aviation theme park Aviodrome. READ: World’s safest airlines According to the website “during takeoff from Wonderboom Airport, the aircraft was seen trailing brown smoke from the no.1 engine.” “Eyewitnesses also reported observing flames. The pilot flew a circuit for an emergency landing back ton runway 29. It went down about 6 km to the east of the airport. The aircraft impacted a shed and broke up. One of the crew members sustained fatal injuries.” [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6-eVK4jyq4[/embed]

Have questions or want to share your thoughts?

Comments

No comments yet, be the first to write one.

Latest news and reviews

View more
AirAsia orders 150 A220s in historic deal
Airline News

AirAsia orders 150 A220s in historic deal

May 7, 2026

Josh Wood
United Airlines 767 accident adds to pattern of recent incidents
Airline News

United Airlines 767 accident adds to pattern of recent incidents

May 7, 2026

Josh Wood
IndiGo A321 evacuated after power bank fire
Airline News

IndiGo A321 evacuated after power bank fire

May 6, 2026

Josh Wood
Lufthansa CityLine ceases operations amid group restructuring
Airline News

Lufthansa CityLine ceases operations amid group restructuring

May 5, 2026

Josh Wood

Featured articles

View more
Air New Zealand earns top Seven Star PLUS safety rating
Airline News

Air New Zealand earns top Seven Star PLUS safety rating

Apr 29, 2026

Airline Ratings
AirAsia orders 150 A220s in historic deal
Airline News

AirAsia orders 150 A220s in historic deal

May 7, 2026

Josh Wood
United Airlines 767 accident adds to pattern of recent incidents
Airline News

United Airlines 767 accident adds to pattern of recent incidents

May 7, 2026

Josh Wood
BREAKING NEWS: Spirit Airlines collapses and grounds all flights
Airline News

BREAKING NEWS: Spirit Airlines collapses and grounds all flights

May 2, 2026

Josh Wood