Mechanical failure, adverse weather blamed for spike in aircraft crashes
Aviation officials say they're very concerned about the sudden increase in the number of aircraft crashes this year.
Authority, SACAA, says 14 aircraft crashes occurred last month - eight people lost their lives in four of them.
It says the last time South Africa experienced a spike like this, was in October 2008 when 26 people died in 20 accidents.
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Poppy Khoza, who's with the Civil Aviation Authority says January's accident rate is worrying. Incident reports have pointed to a number of contributing factors.
"Investigations into the causes of the recent accidents are still ongoing. Judging from the previous accident reports, they do point to elements such as human factors involving aircrew followed by mechanical or engine failure, adverse weather.
"So we do call upon operators to ensure that regulatory requirements are adhered to."
