Air crash history- Devils Peak

[Darron]

Will do

[fannerpaulgraham]

In the 1950s there was another SAAF crash on the mountain above Millers Point, a Ventura light bomber thst was just a few metres too low. They didnt do a great clean up job there. I rhink I remember in particular numerous small electric motors in a vsriety of voltages. I never thought to find out why that was so, but now I'll l go ask Google.

[mvcoller]

One of the guys (Capt Snyman) a passenger on one the planes, was the brother of our Coy Sgt (Staff Snyman - nickname Staff Snyks) during national service at 5 SAI in Ladysmith in 1973/4. Last I heard he was a Major at Infantry School in Oudtshoorn. His brother took a ride down to CT, he was a passenger that day.

I was in Std 9 in Vereeniging at the time it happened, and remember the incident quite well, about a week before the 10th Republic Day Celebrations in Cape Town in 1971. I cannot remember if the event went ahead as planned, or if it was cancelled...

Mercurius 02
Henning LAF Cmdt 71.05.26
Euvrard GJ Major 71.05.26
Beetge N Major 71.05.26 (pax)
Snyman GN Captain 71.05.26 (pax)

*********

My brother and 3 partners bought a Mercurius Jet from the USA in 2009 and wanted to use it as a charter aircraft during the local 2010 World Cup. It was however grounded in Canada due to that HUGE volcano outburst in Greenland or Iceland.

As its arrival was delayed and nobody knew what would open, they never advertised (and by the time the plane arrived a week before the World Cup's kickoff, it was too late to start the advertising campaign).

He said the upkeep and lease on it cost them each R70k pm, with some months as much as R100k. He was instrument rated pilot, but could not fly a jet, as it would have escalated the insurance astronomically.. After about 4 years he managed to sell his share in the aircraft.

They contracted a local pilot (the guy whose engine fell off his Nationwide jet on take-of in CT). This guy lived in Pta and the plane was hangered in CT. So he had to fly down from ORT as a passenger and after the flight in the Mercurius, fly back commercially. He took my brother and wife and two children to Reunion for a 5 day jaunt. My brother said the costs were astronomical!!

The pilot's air tickets locally, the fuel of the Mercurius, the off the chart landing fees in Reunion and the 5 people's accommodation in a 5 star hotel, (including the pilot's) in Reunion, the Euros they spent in Reunion, and also the pilot's salary for a week.....

[Bryan]

In 1956 a Ventura bomber crash landed on Juliana Veld in Pinelands, Capetown. See the attached photo
This was the home soccer field of my primary school, Pinelands Primary (the Red School), although I was not at the school at the time
You can see the goalposts in the photo.
Juliana Veld is only 230m long, so its amazing that the houses on the south side escaped undamaged.
Apparently the pilots walked away.

[jelo]

I think my dad was in this one:

https://mype.co.za/new/walmer-plane-...49088/2015/05/

[Surfer01]

A very interesting read as brouhgt back many memories. I was in Rhodesia at the time of the crash and it was big news. However in the fifties when we lived in Bellville near the bottom of Welgemoed Hill, my grandfather was the caretaker for Sunshine homes, we had a Shackleton crash in to teh top of the hill. Only injury was one of the gunners who had a cut on his forehead. Apparently it came in to Ysterplaat just that little too low over the hill and caught the top of the hill. Not sure if any one remembers the incident?

[Mike N]

Don't know about that one Surfer, but this was also a Shackleton crash of note
https://www.aviation-safety.net/data...?id=19630808-0

[Mike N]

I think my dad was in this one:

https://mype.co.za/new/walmer-plane-...49088/2015/05/

Tell us more?

[DanieG]

A very interesting read as brouhgt back many memories. I was in Rhodesia at the time of the crash and it was big news. However in the fifties when we lived in Bellville near the bottom of Welgemoed Hill, my grandfather was the caretaker for Sunshine homes, we had a Shackleton crash in to teh top of the hill. Only injury was one of the gunners who had a cut on his forehead. Apparently it came in to Ysterplaat just that little too low over the hill and caught the top of the hill. Not sure if any one remembers the incident?

I remember the incident, I am not sure if it was a Shackleton however. I cannot seem to find more info.

[jelo]

Tell us more?

training flight before flying out to North Africa

They all survived. He was the radio operator. Apparently struggled to exit the plane due to fuselage damage.

[Surfer01]

I remember the incident, I am not sure if it was a Shackleton however. I cannot seem to find more info.

I was very young then and do remember the engines being detached from the wings and to a little guy as I was at the time, they were enormous.
I have always thought it to have been a Shackleton, but could be mistaken and it coulddl have been another aircraft. Cannot find anything on air crashes in SA Aviation history.
If travelling into Welgemoed to get to the wreck, you went up the hill, turned first left and then went up as far as you could on the dirt track as it was in those days. Just remembered it is called the Tygerberg Hills and was our backyard.

[B.F.Burger]

Ek was op daardie stadium 'n matriekseun aan Hoërskool Swartland in Malmesbury.Ek onthou nog goed hoe die drie Mercuriusse in een op formasie oor Malmesbury gedraai het daardie woensdag.Minute later het dit oor die nuus gekom dat hulle teen die berg vasgevlieg het.Dit was vir ons almal wat die vliegtuie gesien het,'n hengse skok.
As ek ook reg onthou was daar in een van die vliegtuie 'n man met die naam van Renier Grobler.Hy was in die lugmag en sou daardie jaar vleuel vir die Springbokke teen Frankryk gespeel het,maar dit het toe nooit gebeur nie.
So ja,ek onthou die gebeurtenis nog soos gister.

[Peter Betts]

In 1970 I went to my Military Training at Air Force Gym Valhalla as I was short listed during Matric for Pilots Possibility ..400 of us Did the Medical to cut the numbers down to about 80 ..Final selection would have been 22 for Impalas at Langebaan. I made the Medical as I came TOP in the Eye exam ..No 1 out of 400..You wouldnt think so now with wearing reading glasses from 48 ..now near 70 and with familial genetic Malicullar Degeneration staring me in the face. However to cut the number down to 22 they gave us a Maths exam and sadly my expensive St Andrew's College Maths Teachers let me down and I was one of the 65 dropouts from the final cut. 'Hondeskool of Perdeskool' screamed the Sgt Major ..I choose Hondeskool and after training me and my Alsation 'Rommel' were assigned to Swartkops air base across the road from the AF Gym where I was assigned to guard at night the VIP Squadron read 4 x Mercurius Jets and a Vickers Viscount.

It was a quiet 6 months apart from one cold night in July. Normally when a VIP like Lt Generaal Verster (Head of Airforce) or Generaal Magnus Malan (Weermag Hoof), or PW Bother (Min of Defence) or Prime Minister BJ Vorster were going to fly early the next morning their Mercurius would be left outside the Hanger already for a sunrise departure and I would be informed the evening before by the Officer on Duty. That Night when Rommel and I came on Duty there was a Mercurius on the tarmac outside the VIP Hangar and I hadnt been told. The Coffee Landy came around as usual at 20h00 driven by the Officer on Duty I waited another 30 mins to see his light in his Duty slaap kamer under the Control Tower went out and he was asleep no doubt. I took Rommel into the plane and tied him up at the back ..Poor Dog was cold Lol and I went and made myself comfortable in the front row seats. Next morning @ 05h30 I took Rommel home to his Kennel and fed him and went back to the Dog Handlers Bungalow after breakfast to sleep as we all did as we worked at night.

08h00 we get woken up by a PF Corporal 'Who was on Beat 6?' I owned up and was asked 'Why my Dog had crapped in the Mercurius' I told them that I wasnt told that there was a flight and the door was open so as per procedure I had sent the dog in to investigate and yes he did take a longer than normal time to come out and didnt think anything of it at the time Lol what a BS story I gave him and at the end I just said 'Jammer Korporaal' I was told to RUN to the Airbase and 'Maak Skoon' the Prime Minister is leaving for Cape Town in 40 mins .. I duly did this and on my way back to sleep there came the Entourage of Big Black Cars and Escort Motor Bikes .. I stood to attention and Saluted as they went buy ..BJ Vorster oblivious to the fact that I had just cleaned his Jet of a huge Dog Crap.

Months later all 4 of my Pet Mercurius Jets flew into Devils Peak in Cape Town and on board one was the Northern Transvaal Wing Renier Grobler who was also the Springbok left wing at the same time . Frik Du Preez also a PF Lt in the Airforce was due to fly in one of the doomed aircraft but for some reason missed the flight ..Amazing times ..happy but also sad at times

[cainslie]

expensive St Andrew's College

What a great story!

More importantly, what a great school

[Peter Betts]

What a great story!

More importantly, what a great school

Yes I was very privaleged to have gone to Boarding School there and for a Sandton Boy to be able to rub shoulders with the Karoo Sheep farmers ..Lockhard Ainslie is a good Buddy of mine comes from Bedford and surely you have to be related with the Ainslie surname ..You must have been in Upper House too Lol ..Good on you

[cainslie]

Yes I was very privaleged to have gone to Boarding School there and for a Sandton Boy to be able to rub shoulders with the Karoo Sheep farmers ..Lockhard Ainslie is a good Buddy of mine comes from Bedford and surely you have to be related with the Ainslie surname ..You must have been in Upper House too Lol ..Good on you

Correct on all counts.

I grew up just over the Winterberg from Bedford, on the Tarkastad side.

[PeterMuu]

Hi
An anniversary, short intro, and feedback:

Looks like today is the 50 year anniversary of the Devils Peak crash, 26th May 1971.

I especially signed-on to this 4x4 Community to give some feedback on the above topic. Have found in the past this website/forum very interesting and useful!!
I drive a X-trail and as our kids are basically all out of the house I most likely will get during the next few months a 2nd hand Suzuki Jimny. Keen to do a road-trip up north and some exploring. I stay in Mowbray, Cape Town.

Feedback: I have been researching the 26.05.1971 SAAF crash incident for personal interest reasons. I am just an amateur and like doing things like that.
Pre-lockdown I found out about the incident, read-up on it, and spoke to people who had some firsthand knowledge of it.
Like many readers, I was wondering where the crash-site is. Not that easy, no memorial sign, etc. Google Earth was of use, and after scrolling back through the Google Earth history (2019-1999/1985) I was fairly positive that the two groves between the middle and upper contour paths could be the crash-sites. Plus it correlates with the description(written down & in-person discussion) by witnesses.
As the crash-site is basically in my neighbourhood, I went to look for it, +-two years ago, pre-lockdown.

A few days ago I went to checkout the post-fire mountainside above Rhodes Mem. Was telling my retired journalist friend John, who came along, "Do you know about the three SAAF jets that crashed into this side of the mountain? Do you see those grooves?" This started a re-kindling of my interest into this incident.
Then I found the above 4x4Community Devils Peak thread and discussion: To my shock-n-disappointment, the 1968-1973 aerial photos made it clear that the two mountainside grooves are not the crash sites!! I was wrong! The aerial photos showed that the grooves 1) pre-date the event; 2) are clearly an unknown manmade project.
BUT, two years ago, I was certain that the grooves were caused by two of the three crashed SAAFs Hawker Seddley H.S.125. I carefully worked out the location, projected the debris fields, correlated with reports/photos/witnesses and then hiked up the mountain. Once I arrived onsite, saw the grooves, looked for my estimated debris fields and within +-10 minutes found on all 3 of my debris fields numerous items that looked like items from a crashed plane. So I was, falsely, certain that the mountainside grooves were the crash sites.
I took some of the items to show them to more knowledgeable persons and they confirmed that they were very likely from an crashed airplane and properly from the 26.05.1971 site.

Conclusion: The crash site is close to the two groove.

[PeterMuu]

Hi
An anniversary, short intro, and feedback:

Looks like today is the 50 year anniversary of the Devils Peak crash, 26th May 1971.

Conclusion: The crash site is close to the two groove.

Pictures of some found items.

[GregDassie]

Amazing! Thank you for sharing PeterMuu. 50 years!I was also drawn to those gashes at one point and I'm still trying to figure out what they are.

[Tony Weaver]