Court uncovers hidden facts in Sasa Klass helicopter crash
It’s been two years since a celebrated popular rapper, Sasa Klass, real names Sarona Motlhagodi, died in a helicopter crash, sending shock waves across the country.
Although many of the young rapper’s fans have expressed a desire for their idols’s soul to be left to rest in piece, an ongoing inquest keeps raising more questions than answers as her family seek to find out what exactly happened on the fateful day of her death.
Was it negligence or could it have been a genuine accident?
This is what the court would have to rule on at the next sitting, following the last submission by an independent witness who gave evidence in the Molepolole Magistrate court last week.
Asked if it were permissible to fly at tree level as Klass pilot allegedly did, the experienced pilot from Botswana Police Service, Acting Director of Air Support north, Assistant Commissioner Seabe Mashika explained that pilots are different and there are different operations manuals for different institutions to provide guidance on certain altitudes, and in this particular helicopter incident he didn’t know the limitations in operations manual.
However describing flying at tree level altitude in general Mashika said, “You are right in the dead man’s curve right in the middle of the fire! If an accident occurs as a result of flying at tree level, subjectively I would say there is a bit of negligence because if the pilot has the knowledge that he or she is not supposed to be flying at that height and then somehow decides to do that I would say there is a bit of negligence.”
Mashika however pointed out the need to take other factors to take into consideration such as temperature, cargo weight, mechanical condition of the air craft and disposition of passengers in order to arrive at the conclusion on whether the accident was a result of negligence or not?
“Sometimes we have passengers who may become knotty and do some things contrary to flying. That is taken care of before flying by doing mission briefing where you talk about how you are going to fly and disposition of passengers in a vessel though even after the briefing they may behave otherwise. But that’s a minor factor which depends on the circumstances, the level and skill and knowledge of the pilot that may also be an impact,” said commissioner Mashika.
The celebrated singer, rapper and song writer died in a helicopter crash on March 5th, 2021 in the company of her male friend, Leonard Matenje on the way to his game farm at Xumabee near Sojwe in Kweneng District
Klass who joined what is commonly known as ” Club 27″ in reference to a group pf prominent musicians such as Jim Morrison and Jimi Hendrix who died at the age of 27 will be remembered for her immense talent and a huge fan base.