The body of the late Zimbabwean pilot who died in a plane crash in Malawi on Tuesday afternoon is expected to arrive in the country this Friday, August 23.
Captain Jonathan Majakwara, the father of the late Captain Fungai Majakwara (50), told The Herald that authorities in Malawi informed him his son experienced a blackout before the plane went down on the shores of Lake Malawi.
Capt Majakwara suddenly collapsed at the controls moments after takeoff, leaving the small plane to fly on autopilot for several miles before crashing into the water.
He was killed in the crash, while one passenger also died, and another passenger sustained injuries and was hospitalised.
Mourners have gathered at Plot 2, Xenia, Mazowe River Road, Christon Bank to pay their respects.
The pilot’s father, Capt Majakwara, said the post-mortem examination showed his son was in good health when the tragedy occurred. He said:
Yes, he passed away. According to the post-mortem report, he was in good health. However, the information we are receiving from the Malawian authorities, after speaking to the survivor, suggests that there was a 15-minute blackout mid-air. The Malawian authorities are still investigating the cause of the blackout.
Tomorrow, we are expecting the body to arrive at 1.15 PM at Robert Mugabe International Airport, and the burial is scheduled for Sunday afternoon at Glen Forest.
Capt Majakwara, a former Southern Africa Development Community Civil Aviation Authorities representative at the International Civil Organisation, added:
My son was a well-cultured and disciplined individual who cared deeply about us, his parents.
I am now beginning to realise the extent of his connections, as people from all over the world – including Europe, Rwanda, Malawi, Botswana and other parts of the world are sending their condolence messages.
He said he was glad that his son had decided to follow his career path.
The aircraft, a Cessna C210 (registration number 7QPFU), is typically designed to carry six passengers.
The plane went down on the shores of Lake Malawi, and the bodies of both the pilot and a passenger were recovered on Wednesday, according to Nkhotakota District Commissioner Ben Matengeni Tonho.
Capt. Majakwara served as the managing director of Nyasa Express and was an experienced pilot.
A 24-year-old Dutch passenger, Charlotte Lemstra, was rescued by fishermen and is currently in the hospital receiving treatment for minor injuries.
Lemstra reported that the pilot lost consciousness mid-flight during their journey from Nkhotakota to Liwonde, a township about 235 km south of Lilongwe. The crash occurred just 45 minutes before their scheduled landing.
According to Nyasa Times, the aircraft departed from Tongole Airfield in Nkhotakota Game Reserve on Tuesday at 2:06 PM, en route to Liwonde National Park.
The last known satellite signal placed the aircraft about 70 kilometres south of Nkhotakota, near Lake Malawi’s shoreline.
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