On November 28, 1987, Flight 295, a Boeing B-747-244B Combi, registered ZS-SAS, called the Helderberg and flying the colors of South African Airways, took off from Chiang Kai Shek International Airport near Taipei, Taiwan, on a flight to Johannesburg via Plaisance International Airport in the Republic of Mauritius. 140 passengers and 19 crew were on the manifest.
While the Helderberg was over the Indian Ocean, a fire had occurred in the main cargo hold, originating on one of the six cargo pallets inside. The fire disoriented and incapacitated the crew, leading to the crash. All 159 people on board were killed.
An commission of inquiry was chaired out by Judge Cecil Margo, who determined eventually that no clear causes for the crash could be determined. Nonetheless, of late there has been significant of controversy around the crash and the subsequent commission's report, with some claiming that the aircraft was carrying dangerous cargo related to the then-apartheid government's weapons programs.
This was further enhanced by the appearance of a cockpit voice recording transcript, allegedly from the Helderberg, which revealed that the captain notified the crew that the plane was carrying explosives. The captain had purportedly initially refused to fly, but he flew anyway, after having been threatened with immediate dismissal. However, experts who were involved in the Helderberg investigation immediately contested the authenticity of the transcript, claiming it was fraudulent.
The result was that the South African Department of Transport conducted a review of all the evidence and new developments. In 2002 it announced that no new evidence had emerged that would justify a new inquiry into the crash.
Therefore, the finding of the commission chaired by Judge Margo, which found no definitive cause, remains the official standpoint on the crash.
See also
Last updated: 05-17-2005 18:06:56
