Mango Airlines confirm part of their plane “fell off” over Stellenbosch

Mango Airlines have addressed an issue which surfaced online last week, confirming its validity. They have affirmed that a piece of one of their planes fell away from the main body of the aircraft over Stellenbosch, during a flight leaving Cape Town almost two weeks ago. The domestic carrier shared the following details on Tuesday:

• The panel is “understood to be a side wing to a body fairing”, according to Mango.
• The Boeing 737 was flying to OR Tambo and had just begun its ascent.
• Mango claim the damage posed no risk to the flight, and expect the Civil Aviation Authority to confirm this.

Part of a plane “lands in Stellenbosch township”

The first murmurs about this air-scare surfaced on local news website Scrolla. Mungo Soggot put together an article which claimed the panel landed in a township near Stellenbosch. The writer said that he finds the incident both farcical and terrifying, and alleges that one local tried to cash in on Mango’s misfortune.

“An air frame panel fell from a flight leaving Cape Town International Airport. It’s fell into the Kayamandi township, and allegedly, a local sold the part back to the airline. Mango are preparing a report to tell their side of the story. It’s mildly amusing in a way, but also, it could have been a very dangerous incident.”

Mungo Soggot

Mango Airlines latest – investigation underway

Soggot’s claim that Mango bought the panel back has been rejected by the airline. However, he says there is photo evidence which proves the transaction took place. The flight to Johannesburg remained largely undisturbed, and all passengers were able to complete their journey on time at the end of last month.

We are now waiting for the SA Civil Aviation Authority to file their report on the matter. The investigative body will be expected to explain what caused the panel to fall from the plane, and trace the chain of events that had the potential to endanger hundreds of lives – both in the sky and on the ground.