SA Air Force Museum aircraft crashes at Swartkop Air Force Base 17 March 2021 - 12:40 A file picture of the Patchen Explorer which has reportedly crashed at Swartkop Air Force Base, near Pretoria. Image: Alan Wilson/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
A light aircraft belonging to the SA Air Force Museum has reportedly crashed while landing at Swartkop Air Force Base, south of Pretoria.
The aircraft, a single-engine Patchen Explorer reconnaissance aircraft, was reportedly on final approach when it crashed short of the runway and burst into flames.
The aircraft was designed for aerial surveillance and photography and patrolling pipelines.
Only one example was ever built. The prototype was brought to SA in 1975 and evaluated as an observation aircraft for the SAAF.