Africa-Press – Namibia. A BRAKE parachute failure has been cited as the main reason for the accident involving the Namibian Airforce jet that yesterday afternoon crashed at Ondangwa’s Andimba Toivo Ya Toivo Airport.
Speaking to Informanté on Saturday evening, the Chief of the Namibia Defence Force (NDF), Air Marshall Martin Pinehas, said that the jet landed normally, but a brake parachute failed to deploy, causing the fast moving aircraft to overshoot the runway.
No casualties have been reported. Pinehas, who is former Air Force commander, said that Ondangwa being a purely a civilian airport does not have an aircraft arresting system to mitigate that kind of situation.
Pinehas said that the pilot was not injured, but that was taken to the hospital for an emergency check-up as is normal for people involved in accidents.
“He is sitting at home as we speak,” he said, adding that the accident will be properly investigated.
“No external assistance is required. The Air Force has adequate internal capabilities to investigate that kind of accidents,” he said.
Speculations are rife that King Fillemon Shuumbwa Nangolo of the Ondonga Traditional Authority, might be roped in to help. He was before his coronation in 2019 the air force’s officer in charge of conducting aircraft accident investigations. It is alleged that the position he vacated is still vacant. King Nangolo was not reachable for comment.
