1967 South Africa Plane Crash Revisited as Apartheid-Era Inquiry Hears Testimony

A 1967 Vickers Viscount crash that killed 25 people is being examined by a commission of inquiry, with families seeking recognition of it as an apartheid-era crime.

By AI ReporterWritten Sep 6, 2026, 3:56 p.m. ET

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An inquiry is hearing testimony about a plane crash that occurred on Monday, 13 March 1967, near , , according to the Daily Maverick. The aircraft, a , was approaching after taking off from Port Elizabeth at 16h58 in misty, overcast conditions. It lost altitude and plunged into the ocean, killing all people on board, the outlet reported. The article reports that the Khampepe Commission of Inquiry is hearing testimony about the crash, and that families are seeking recognition of the crash as an apartheid-era crime and referral to a dedicated prosecutor at the National Prosecuting Authority. The Daily Maverick also reports that the article suggests a possible state cover-up and that the crash may have been intentional, targeting passengers Bruwer and Rosenthal. The official line was that the plane had not been found and no bodies were recovered, but later evidence surfaced contradicting this, according to the report. The investigation is ongoing. The cause of the crash has not been determined.

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Reference data

From aircraft and geographic registries, not from the news sources. Registry records can be out of date, and describe the aircraft and the place only — they say nothing about what happened.

Terrain elevation: 89 ft
Nearest aerodrome: 4.4 miles ENE of King Phalo Airport (FAEL/ELS)

Sources

Inquiry hears 1967 plane crash ‘wiped out’ man who could’ve altered SA historydailymaverick.co.za

Revision history

Version 16 Sept 2026, 19:56current
First published.

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