A security aide to Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo has given a detailed account of the final minutes before the helicopter crash that killed Chivayo and his wife Lucy on September 30. Foster Chisi, the aide, described a pilot who was disoriented in bad weather and whose radio transmissions went suddenly silent. Chisi was aboard a separate aircraft carrying security personnel.
Chisi said the two helicopters departed Harare at 3PM for Gandami in Chivhu, Chivayo's rural home, before beginning their return journey at 4.20PM. Deteriorating weather over the Mashonaland region forced a change of route during the flight back. The pilot suggested rerouting via Bromley due to the challenging weather conditions.
During the pilots' communication, Chisi observed that the pilot flying Chivayo's helicopter repeatedly radioed that he had not exited cloud cover and appeared confused about the destination. The final transmission from Chivayo's pilot raised alarm, stating he was flying over Surrey. The pilot of Chisi's helicopter responded that they were 10 minutes from Marondera, but no reply came from Chivayo's pilot.
Chisi's helicopter landed in Marondera and waited for Chivayo's aircraft, but when it did not appear, the security team flew to Harare to collect ground vehicles. They hoped to track the stricken helicopter by road once phone contact was restored. After over an hour of failed attempts to reach Chivayo, his wife, and the crew by telephone, news came through that the helicopter had crashed with no survivors.
Chisi put the number of occupants at five: Chivayo, his wife Lucy, Lucy's personal aide, and two pilots. This conflicts with the police statement issued on the day of the crash, which said six people were aboard the aircraft. The discrepancy raises questions about the accuracy of the initial reports.
Zimbabwean police confirmed the crash and said the cause of the accident remained under investigation. The wreckage, spread across more than 50 metres of farmland, required forensic teams to recover human remains for DNA identification of the victims. The investigation is ongoing to determine the cause of the crash.
The crash occurred near Harare, approximately 85 kilometres east of the city, at Kudenga Farm. Chisi spoke to journalists at the crash site, providing a detailed account of the events leading up to the fatal crash. The incident has raised concerns about aviation safety in the region.
Key points
- The pilot of Wicknell Chivayo's helicopter was disoriented in bad weather and appeared confused about the destination before the fatal crash.
- There is a discrepancy between the number of occupants reported by Chisi's aide and the police statement.
- The cause of the accident remains under investigation by the Zimbabwean police.
