August 17, 2011. The sad news was confirmed yesterday that the missing Albatross planes were found in high ground near Tzaneen in Limpopo. The planes had crashed into a cliff and search and rescue found no survivors.
The planes were only a few hundred metres short of clearing a cliff (Mamotswiri Peak) when they crashed, flying in formation under poor conditions.
The two light aircraft went missing while flying to Gauteng from Tzaneen, following an airshow there this weekend. Kevin Woollacott, the chief co-ordinator of the Durban Airshow held annually at Virginia Airport, was among those on board one of the planes, along with men, women and two children. Kevin Woollacott has been described by colleagues, family, friends and airshow insiders as sought after in the industry due to his skill and organisation in putting together airshow events. Members and those close to Woollacott gathered at the Wings club at Virginia Airport to pay tribute to Woollacott and the others who lost their life in the crash.
Durban Airshow media spokesman Ray de Vries, who had been speaking on behalf of Woollacott’s family until news of his death was confirmed, described Kevin Woollacott as the best in the business and told The Mercury newspaper Woollacott was a highly sought after airshow co-ordinator “due to his meticulous work and ‘no room for error’ attitude”.
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