Air Force of Zimbabwe pilot dies in Gweru Jet Cras...

Air Force of Zimbabwe pilot dies in Gweru Jet Crash

Gilbert Munetsi

Zim Now Writer

An Air Force of Zimbabwe pilot has tragically lost his life after a jet trainer aircraft he was flying crashed near Guinea Fowl in Gweru.

The incident, which occurred during a solo training mission, was confirmed in a press statement by Commander Defence Forces, General Levi Sibanda.

The deceased, Air Lieutenant Nesbert Tambudza, was piloting a Karakorum-8 (K-8) jet trainer as part of a general handling and navigation training exercise when the crash occurred. According to General Sibanda, the news has been met with deep sorrow within the Zimbabwe Defence Forces as the country mourns the loss of a promising young officer.

“On behalf of officers, men, and women of the ZDF, the Commander Zimbabwe Defence Forces expresses his heartfelt condolences to the family, relatives, friends, and colleagues of our departed officer, Air Lieutenant Tambudza,” General Sibanda stated.

Air Lieutenant Tambudza was undergoing advanced jet flying conversion training at Number 2 Squadron, Josiah Tungamirai Air Force Base in Gweru. At the time of his death, he was in the final stages of his training on the K-8 aircraft.

The crash site, located approximately five kilometers east of Guinea Fowl, saw the aircraft suffer extensive damage upon impact. Fortunately, there were no reported civilian casualties or damage to property on the ground. The Air Force of Zimbabwe has since convened a Board of Inquiry to establish the cause of the accident.

This incident is not the first of its kind involving Zimbabwe’s Air Force. In 2021, a similar tragedy struck when two pilots lost their lives after an Air Force of Zimbabwe SF-260 Genet aircraft crashed during a routine training exercise in Somabula, near Gweru. Another incident in 2014 saw an instructor pilot and a trainee killed when their aircraft went down during a training sortie in the same area.

Military aviation accidents have historically been a concern, with factors such as mechanical failures, human error, and adverse weather conditions often playing a role. The Air Force of Zimbabwe has, in previous cases, launched thorough investigations to determine causes and improve flight safety protocols.

Meanwhile, arrangements for Air Lieutenant Tambudza’s funeral parade and burial will be announced in due course as the nation continues to mourn the loss of a dedicated serviceman.