List being compiled

Chronological Listing of South African Ejections
 

DRAFT LISTING

[this list does not claim to be the complete list, nor 100% accurate]

more information being compiled and sought - can you help enhance the accuracy of this information or add a photo??

Where two dates are given for the same mishap the first is presumed the most likely. Confirmations are always appreciated

 Pilot lost during training flight. Near K-55,  Korea

21st April 1953

SAAF

F-86F Sabre

613 "G"

42-4327

2 Sqn
Korea

Compressor failure, engine failure, rescued

2nd Lt. J. H. Robberts ejected

NAA

21st July 1953

SAAF

F-86F Sabre

616 "Q" 52-4368

2 Sqn
Korea

Caught fire after hit by AAA in bombing run

Lt. George Thom ejected - became PoW released in RMC

NAA

 "The Buccaneer crashed on the weapons range to the west of Bloemfontein, the name escapes me at this moment. If I'm not mistaken the pilot was Maj/Capt (?) "Doons" van Heerden and the navigator Capt G. M. "Deon" Joubert. It happened during a low level 'retarded bomb' sortie, Deon Joubert survived, skidding on his side still in his seat for a considerable distance, sadly he passed away a few years ago. Doons van Heerden was killed, as by the time his seat functioned, the aircraft was virtually inverted and he was fired straight into the ground. Once again I stand to be corrected."
Vic Swanepoel

Aircraft crashed after a slow flypast of the crash scene of F I AZ 246. Pilot Pilot killed.

DETAILS PLEASE

95 TAU (Tactical Airfield Unit) Ondangwa,

There is confusion as to whether the Impala tail number was 1053 or 1033.  Well according to my logbook I flew 1053 on a number of occasions in Angola for armed reconnaissance missions starting in September 1981 so I guess the aircraft in question was 1033.  I have no record of flying 1033 after 1979.

On 12 September 1980 I flew a search and rescue mission for Lt Vince Lautenslager at 17h15 from Air Force Base Ondangua.  He was on a search and destroy mission as wingman to Lt Frans Vermaak in Impala MkII's.  I found the wreckage and it appeared as though his Impala had struck into the ground during the roll-in to attack a Russian made troop carrier approximately 20 km's South East of Xangongo (The Ural lorry was still burning from the attack presumably by 30mm cannon from Lt Vermaak). It is not known if he was brought down by small arms fire or flew into the ground.  He was presumed dead in the wreckage.

 I also flew the search and rescue mission on 10 October 1980, for Lt Steve Volkerz who was struck by 2 SAM-7's while on a search and destroy mission leading his wingman Lt Chris Skinner.  He was momentarily above the standard 50ft height in a turn when hit directly over a SWAPO camp hidden in trenches and bushes.  Lt Skinner saw Lt Volkerz on the ground after the ejection gesturing in which direction he would be evading towards.  He had unknowingly also landed in the same base, was captured and shot "by accident" by the cook who had heard the commotion, emerged from his bunker and saw a white pilot and thought the camp was under attack.  This fact was found out nearly a year later when propaganda pamphlets were found on a captured SWAPO soldier showing a photo of Lt Volkerz, obviously shot with his 3 Sqn helmet next to his head.

see also 11th April 1991

Captain Robbie Turner ejected during a night training sortie.  The student in front was Lt Ray Hughes.  Bad weather and poor visibility caused Lt Hughes to mistake hangar lights and perimeter lights for the runway and both pilots only ejected when the plane started hitting the trees to the South of the Port Elizabeth airport.  Lt Turner survived due to his parachute snagging on trees and slowing down his fall.  Lt Hughes unfortunately fell along an open pathway and had nothing to break his speed as they had ejected with a downward vector outside the envelope of the zero zero ejection seats.

13 March 1984, my ejection over Lydenburg . I was picked up in a Puma helicopter piloted by Capt. Carl Volker and taken back to Air Force Base Hoedspruit.

The aircraft crash landed in a field and was later repaired and converted to a Cheetah.

SAAF

Mirage F.1AZ

All photos via Jan Henning

27 September 1987,Capt Arthur Piercy was hit in the tail area by a head-on R-23R missile from a MIG 23ML flown by Major Alberto Ley Rivas and not a SAM-7.