Eastern Cape Helicopter Crash: Female Pilot Dies After Aircraft Hits Power Line While Spraying Crops

• A female pilot passed away during an aircraft accident on a farm outside Patensie in the Eastern Cape
• The 43-year-old woman was spraying crops on the farm when tragedy struck, and her helicopter crashed
• An inquest was opened into the crash that took place on the morning of Monday, 9 November 2025

Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.

GAUTENG – Tragedy struck in the Eastern Cape when a 43-year-old woman was killed in a helicopter crash on a farm outside Patensie.

The woman was flying the helicopter, which was spraying crops on the farm, when it reportedly hit power lines and crashed to the ground. The woman was killed instantly, but authorities have yet to identify the deceased until formal identification is completed.

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The accident happened on the morning of Monday, 9 October 2025.

Inquest docket opened into fatal crash

Speaking to IOL, police spokesperson Warrant Officer Majola Nkohli said that an inquest was opened into the crash:

"It is believed that the freak accident occurred at 7:45 am, when the helicopter was spraying crops," he said.

He added that it was alleged that the female crop duster died instantly when the Robinson helicopter she was flying crashed onto the Roodegrond farm.

A local farmer, Ruan Scheepers, told IOL that he was alerted to the accident by one of his workers. He then rushed to the scene while calling a neighbour, asking him to inform authorities of the accident.

He added that he witnessed the aftermath of the crash, describing it as a frightening ordeal.

Pilot identified as a TV presenter

Following the tragic incident, the identity of the pilot has since been confirmed. The 43-year-old crop duster pilot was identified as TV presenter and chef, Mynie Steffens.

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Steffens was a co-host of the Afrikaans VIA TV programme Speel met vuur. The show saw her travel to various South African locations to braai unusual dishes. The channel’s Facebook page confirmed her passing by paying tribute to her.

South Africa experiences numerous aircraft accidents

The crash is the latest in a number of aircraft accidents in the country in 2025. The recent spate of accidents stretches back to June 2025, when three student pilots died after their aircraft crashed near Greytown, KwaZulu-Natal. A Cessna 210 also crashed near Lanseria in June, killing the pilot and leaving the passenger seriously injured.

In August 2025, an aerobatics aircraft plunged into the ocean during an airshow near Suncoast Beach, Durban, stretches.

Things escalated in October 2025 when at least five people were killed in separate accidents across the country.

Light aircraft crashes into school building

Briefly News reported that a light aircraft crashed into a school building in Alberton, Ekurhuleni, on Sunday, 26 October 2025.

Emergency services reported that an instructor and a student were carrying out an evaluation flight test at the time of the crash.

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It is alleged that the plane’s engine failed, which forced them to make an emergency landing.

Proofreading by Kelly Lippke, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.

Source: Briefly News