Manufacturers of the aircraft that crashed in Durban on Thursday will assist in the investigation into what caused the accident that seriously injured three crew on-board.

SA Airlink CEO Roger Foster said the airline contacted British Aerospace in Scotland where the plane was manufactured, adding that the 29-seater Jetstream 41 was maintained properly with no known defects and that the crashed aircraft had 30 000 hours of remaining service.

"We’ve notified the manufacturers of the aircraft. In fact, they’ve called us and dispatched a set of technicians to assist in the investigation."

According to the airline, the aircraft departed from Durban International Airport on Thursday morning and declared an emergency shortly after take-off, with the crew reporting engine loss and smoke from the rear of the aircraft.

"The aircraft ditched approx[imately] 400m off the airport in the fields of the Merebank high school on the Bluff and broke into three pieces on impact," read an airline statement. The plane narrowly missed several houses, a small shopping complex and the Engen oil refinery.

Rescue workers had to cut through the plane’s fuselage to remove the captain, his co-pilot and the air-hostess.The two pilots sustained critical injuries but were stable. The flight attendant was seriously injured but is also stable. There were no passengers on board at the time.

A person on the ground was slightly injured and was treated at the scene and admitted to hospital for surveillance.

Arrangements were made for the immediate family of the injured crew to travel to Durban.

"...safety must be beyond reproach..."

KwaZulu-Natal's transport MEC Willies Mchunu called on aviation authorities to probe the case of the crash.

"We can least afford to have passenger airlines jeopardising the lives of our people. Due to the risk associated with air travel, its safety must be beyond reproach," a statement from his office said.

Earlier, Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele sent wishes of a speedy recovery to those injured in the crash.

"We want to wish those injured in the plane crash in Merebank this morning a speedy recovery," said Ndebele.

"We acknowledge that this is a difficult time for those injured and their families and our thoughts and prayers are with them," his statement continued.

Accident investigators from the Civil Aviation Authority were sent to the scene and an on-site investigation will be carried out from which a report will be prepared to determine the probable cause of the crash.

A Sapa reporter on the scene said paramedics used the 'jaws of life' to cut the crew free from the plane, which broke up after crashing into a fence.

Abel Pillay, whose house is a stone's throw from the crash scene, said he saw the plane flying very low and it looked as though the pilot was trying to land on the sports ground.

"My father said 'look at the plane, it is flying very low'," Pillay told Sapa.

"You could see that the pilot was trying to land in the school ground."

Pillay said there were three people cleaning the street and that one was hit by the plane and fell, but survived.

The plane narrowly missed crashing into houses.

A large group of residents arrived to observe the rescue operation from behind a cordon that had been set up.

Additional reporting by Eyewitness News

Sapa

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