Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Barbara Creecy, has expressed her deepest condolences to the family of Kishugu Aviation aerial firefighting pilot, Justin van As, who lost his life in an aircraft accident.

“At a time of great sadness for the family of Justin van As, as well as the firefighting fraternity, I salute Justin’s bravery and dedication to his work. I wish to pay homage and respect to a true firefighting hero, who remained forever committed to saving lives and protecting our environment,” Creecy said on Friday.

The 49-year-old man died during an aerial firefighting operation near Ngodwana, Mpumalanga, on Wednesday afternoon. He joined Kishugu Aviation on 1 May 2019 as an AT802 AFF Pilot (Fixed Wing Water Bomber Pilot).

Van As leaves behind his son, aged 18, as well as his wife, Amelia. He was a keen reader, especially historical events, loved research and philosophising about his readings.

The cause of the accident is still unknown, but the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) has started with its investigation.

“The safety of our pilots and ground crews remains a top priority and Kishugu Aviation will be working with SACAA to determine the cause of the accident. We are unfortunately unable to provide any further details at this stage,” the Minister said.

Kishugu Aviation is a subsidiary of Kishugu Holdings, which forms part of the Working on Fire - Kishugu Joint Venture.

Kishugu Aviation provides aerial firefighting services in the form of aircraft, aircraft support vehicles and pilots to the Working on Fire programme.

Source: South African Government News Agency