Inquest blames pilot for Cronje plane crash

Johannesburg, Aug 14 (UNI) A complacent pilot, who ignored warnings of the lurking danger, was today held responsible for the plane crash which killed former South African captain Hansie Cronje.

The inquest into the disgraced skipper's death by Cape Town High Cout judge Siraj Desai ruled out any conspiracy and declared that pilot's error was to be blamed for the mishap, which killed everyone on board.

''The complacency of the pilot in command was surprising and ...

the co-pilot failed under the circumstances to do what a reasonable pilot would have done,'' Justice Desai was quoted by the BBC Sport as saying.

The former Proteas captain who admitted to taking bribes for fixing matches in 2000 died two years later in June when the light plane he was travelling in crashed into a mountain in the Western Cape province.

He was serving a life-long ban at the time of his death after being found guilty of his involvement in match fixing.

Justice Desai said the crew had violated procedures and the evidence suggested an offence on part of the pilot Willie Meyer.

''It is the court's view that the death of the deceased Wessel Johannes (Hansie) Cronje was brought about by an act or omission prima facie amounting to an offence on the part of pilots,'' he said.

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