The documented story of the day the WASP helicopter crashed into the sea.

“I really can’t remember well how I got out of the helicopter from under the water, everything happened so quickly when the helicopter began to fall.”……………..explains Captain JVZ of 22 Squadron from Ysterplaat Airforce Base after his close call yesterday evening when his Wasp helicopter went down into the sea 160 nautical miles from Cape Point. Captain JVC and his Co-pilot Cpl Andy Pentelbury were rescued shortly after the accident by the SAS President Steyn under the command of Commander Flip Viljoen. They were bought, unharmed, to the Simonstown Port, and then sent to the Ysterplaat Airforce Base. The helicopter sank in 3700m water.

Captain JVC explains how they were taking off from the SAS President Steyn Frigate at 6:30am to meet up with a fleet of vessels to do training exercises. They were in the air for approximately 15 minutes before the engine started to give trouble and then stalled. He just had enough time to think about his safety training. “I gave the warning call “Mayday” over the radio. I disconnected the rotor from the engine in order to break the fall. We fell approx 200m in only 30 seconds”. The helicopter landed flat in the water but the strong swell of approximately 4meters, rolled the helicopter over. I had to swim from underneath the helicopter to the surface”

Captain JVZ and Corporal Pentelbury inflated their life Jackets, and climbed into the rescue vessel that they detached from the helicopter before it sank. The SAS President Steyn that was approx 2 nautical miles away, rushed to the scene.

The two were lifted from the sea approximately 20 minutes after the incident. They were then transferred to the President Pretorius ship who took them to Simonstown. The head of the Airforce in Pretoria said they will investigate the cause of the accident. Captain JVC said their saving grace was that they were flying without the front doors of the helicopter, so this enabled them to escape with speed. Their safety training that they had to do also helped them to remain calm.

Opening these little gems is always exciting…….This is how it arrives…..carefully packaged in a light-bulb box!

HISTORY ON SAAF LAMANIA CHRONOGRAPH AF11447

I was a pilot in the SA Air Force and joined in 1969. I was trained on Impala aircraft and later I was a Flying Instructor in the SA Air Force. I went through a couple of “private” watches during my flying training as the G tolerances were too high for ordinary watches, until I was issued with SAAF issued watches, once qualified.

I was issued with the same Automatic Lamania Chronoghraph watch and used it throughout my SAAF career, during bush tours and as far South as the Antarctic.

I used to fly helicopters all over in Africa and Namibia. I also flew Helicopters off Naval Ships and the SA Agulhas to the South Pole.

In 1979 I ditched a Westland Wasp Helicopter off the SAS President Steyn (Naval Frigate), wearing my Lamania. (See photo attached)

I used to wear this watch in Angola, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Ivory Coast, Congo and Burundi (Bujumbura!). My last bush tour was in 2005 in Burundi.

I stopped wearing the Lamania because it is Automatic and I stopped wearing my watch during the night as a pensioner, as time is not important any more as in my working days!

The last time I used to wear this watch during flying operations was on 28 April 2009 in a Pilatus Astra aircraft as a flying instructor on type, two days before I went on Pension. Since then I have been wearing it on and off to keep it running and from becoming dry.

This watch is still original and has never been opened or serviced, as far as I can remember. The original strap, unfortunately, broke. Hopefully, after a good service, this watch should give many years of service and will definitely out live me at my age of 72 years, old.

Capt JVC

SAAF Pilot/Flying Instructor

ABOVE: The messages and pictures sent to me in my initial conversation with “JVZ”. His WASP helicopter on the left and his South Pole visit on the right.