Aero South Africa 2025: Discover the future of aviation.
Denel and Embraer partner on KC-390.
Cessna Caravan celebrates 40 years of adventures as one of the most versatile aircraft in the industry.
SAAF urgently seeking spares for four types in its fleet.
H55 showcases electric aviation innovation at the 51st Sun 'N Fun Aerospace Expo.
Austrian Airlines equips four Boeing 777-200ERs with innovative sharkskin technology.
Milkor busy with Milkor 380 production and deliveries as UAV project enters a new phase.
Airlink achieves IATA environmental assessment certification.
This week in history - The Great Tokyo Air Raid, an overnight incendiary bombing raid by B-29 Superfortresses on Tokyo, is one of the most destructive air raids in history.
Bonus video - Van's RV 10 Brakpan to East London Aug 2014
Aero South Africa 2025: Discover the future of aviation
The countdown to AERO South Africa 2025 has begun! Visit the premier business-to-Business trade show for the general aviation industry in Southern Africa. Lock in the dates and set your reminders for 25 - 27 June, and join us at our brand-new venue, Lanseria International Airport.
The countdown to AERO South Africa 2025 has begun! Visit the premier Business-to-Business trade show for the general aviation industry in Southern Africa. Lock in the dates and set your reminders for 25 - 27 June, and join us at our brand-new venue, Lanseria International Airport.
Discover the latest advancements in avionics, aircraft models, pilot gear, and maintenance solutions from top-tier exhibitors such as Century Avionics, Aeronautical Aviation, Pooleys Flight Equipment and more.
Connect with key decision-makers, aviation experts, and industry leaders to forge valuable partnerships to expand your network.
Gain insights from industry specialists on emerging trends, regulatory updates, and business strategies to keep you ahead of the curve. Don't miss out on presentations from AirLovers, Elevate (her), SSASS and more!
Experience aviation up close with engaging aircraft displays. From sleek light aircrafts to advanced commercial and business aviation solutions, we bring together leading manufacturers such as Sling Aircraft, Airbus, Bristell, and Cirrus, to name a few.
AERO South Africa 2025 will feature an impressive line-up of exhibitors, including leading companies in the aviation sector:
Absa Commercial Asset Finance, Absa Relationship Banking, Absolute Aviation, Aeronautical Aviation, African Pilot, Air Finance Corporation, Airbus South Africa, Aviation Union of Southern Africa, Bid Air Cargo, Blackhawk, Bristell Aircraft, Cabin Crew, Capital Air, Century Avionics, Cirrus, Comet Aviation Supplies DJA Aviation Pty Ltd, Elevate Her, Execujet, Feulco SA Pty Ltd, Flybywire Aviation Art, ForeFlight, G.I.B Insurance, Garmin, Heliserve, Investec, Jet A1, Lanseria International Airport, Ntsu Aviation, PJ Aviation, Pooleys Flight Equipment Limited, Rotax, SACAA, SSASS, Sling Aircraft, Southern Cross Aviation, Toks LOG Pty Ltd, uaVionix, UNISA, Vektor Aviation & World Airnews
...and many more industry experts ready to showcase their latest innovations!
We are proud to partner with Lanseria International Airport as our official venue partner.
We also extend our heartfelt thanks to our esteemed sponsors, Investec and ExecuJet, whose support is instrumental in making AERO South Africa 2025 a success.
Don't miss this exceptional opportunity to connect with industry leaders, explore exciting inventions, and gain insights to enhance your aviation journey. Whether you're attending or considering exhibiting, we'd love to hear from you.
For more information or to discuss participation options, please get in touch - we're here to help you make the most of this exciting event.
We look forward to welcoming you to AERO South Africa!
OUR DEDICATED SALES TEAM
Louise Olckers - Show Director
Tel: +27 (0)10 599 6150
Louise.Olckers@za.messefrankfurt.com
South African defence conglomerate Denel was at the just ended Latin America Aerospace and Defence (LAAD) exhibition where it entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Brazilian aerospace company Embraer.
A statement has it the MoU “will strengthen the companies' strategic partnership with special focus on Embraer's new generation transport aircraft”.
The aircraft is the high-wing twin-engine KC-390, seen in South Africa at last year's Africa Aerospace and Defence (AAD) exhibition - the second time in 12 months the South American designed and built military transport was at Air Force Base (AFB) Waterkloof.
The MoU, signed by Chris Boshoff, Group Executive (CEO) - Aerospace of Denel, and Fabio Caparica, Vice President of Contracts at Embraer Defence and Security, outlines a framework for potential future collaboration on the KC-390 Millennium aircraft, with a focus on aerostructure manufacturing, maintenance, repair and overhaul activities.
“We are thrilled to strengthen our ties with Denel, a proven aerospace leader in South Africa, as the country looks to replace its legacy military aircraft. We are looking forward to providing South Africa with the most advanced aircraft in its category while co-operating with South Africa's defence industry,” Caparica is quoted as saying in the statement.
Boshoff, in turn, expressed enthusiasm for partnering with a company renowned worldwide for quality and craftsmanship. “Our longstanding relationship spans several decades and this collaboration will further strengthen ties. Denel is well equipped and is a suitably qualified industrial partner to undertake the necessary tasks envisaged for the collaboration and will significantly enhance the strategic airlift support capabilities on the African continent,” the statement has Boshoff saying.
The KC-390 Millennium is a next generation military transport aircraft particularly suited for operations in South Africa, according to Embraer. Its versatility, ease of reconfiguration between missions and ability to operate from unprepared airstrips make it an ideal, cost-efficient, aircraft for modern armed forces on the African continent.
The KC-390 can carry more payload (26 tons) compared to other medium-sized military transport aircraft and fly faster (470 knots) and farther, Embraer said of its airlifter. It is capable of performing a wide range of missions including humanitarian aid, transport and airdrop of cargo and troops, air-to-air refuelling as tanker and receiver, medical evacuation, search and rescue, firefighting and special operations, while operating from temporary or unpaved runways such as packed earth, soil and gravel.
To date the aircraft is operated by eight countries - Brazil, Portugal, Hungary, South Korea, the Netherlands, Austria, the Czech Republic and an undisclosed customer. The Embraer statement notes it has been officially selected by Sweden and Slovakia to modernise their air forces.
Since entering service with the Brazilian Air Force in 2019, the Portuguese Air Force in 2023 and, most recently, the Hungarian Air Force in 2024, the KC-390 Millennium multi-mission military aircraft has proven its capability, reliability and performance, Embraer said. The current global fleet of KC-390 Millennium aircraft has a 99% mission completion rate, demonstrating what is termed “exceptional productivity in its segment”.
Cessna Caravan Celebrates 40 Years of Adventures as One of the Most Versatile Aircraft in the Industry
Textron Aviation today announced that the company is celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Cessna Caravan single-engine utility turboprop with customers throughout the year, recognizing its growth and popularity throughout the world during the past four decades.
“Customers continue to select the Caravan because of its great versatility to support a wide range of operations,” said Lannie O'Bannion, senior vice president, Sales & Marketing, Textron Aviation. “The aircraft can go almost anywhere-on water, off-the-grid backcountry and rough terrain without runways. Whether their mission is business, humanitarian or a great adventure, our customers rely on the Caravan to deliver them all around the world.”
The Cessna Caravan platform, which also includes the Cessna Grand Caravan EX, has more than 3,100 aircraft delivered and is certified in 100 countries. The aircraft has accumulated over 25 million flight hours globally.
Textron Aviation remains dedicated to enhancing the Caravan's capabilities, ensuring it continues to meet the evolving needs of pilots, passengers and aviation enthusiasts across the globe.
The aircraft's cockpit currently features Garmin's G1000 NXi avionics with the latest technology and connectivity. A brighter, modernized flight deck with new backlit panels and other amenities is expected to enter into service in 2025.
Conceived as a rugged utility aircraft with low operating costs, the first Caravan delivery was celebrated in 1985. The aircraft is renowned for its ability to operate in remote areas with extreme weather changes, mountainous terrain and rough landing locations. Today, Caravans are seen being utilized by government agencies, law enforcement and militaries, air ambulance services, freight haulers, corporations and humanitarian organizations.
The SA Air Force (SAAF) is, via Armscor, urgently looking for spare and replacement parts for four types in its fleet. The aircraft types are, in order of the Armscor requests for information (RfIs), CASA 212 (RFI: ARO-2025-03-01); Saab Gripen (RFI: ARO-2025-03-02), Oryx (RFI: ARO-2025-03-03) and C-130BZ (RFI: ARO-2025-03-04). All were issued on 28 March with a 7 April closing date.
Armscor does not make known RfI or tender details to the media, so this publication went to Dean Wingrin, publisher of the Unofficial SAAF website who also has a wide-ranging knowledge of the SA National Defence Force (SANDF). His take on the four RfIs is “standard spare and replacement parts” for the four aircraft systems named.
“These are all urgent, most likely a result of the chronic underfunding experienced by the SAAF (and SANDF as a whole) over the past decade,” he told defenceWeb. “The SANDF suffered severe budget cuts over the past 15 years, leading to maintenance backlogs, depleted stock levels and an inability to carry out essential maintenance and mid-life upgrades.”
Turning specifically to the airborne service, under the command of Lieutenant General Wiseman Mbambo, he said: “The SAAF received a 3.9% budget increase this year to R17.7 billion, which remains below the inflation rate. As a result, even with this nominal increase, the SAAF will not be able to maintain spending parity in the current financial year to what it could buy last year. The net effect has resulted in the SAAF flying only 6 800 hours of its budgeted 12 000”.
On the timing of the RFIs he notes they “may have been issued on an urgent basis as April 1 is the start of the South African government financial year. In this way, newly released funds can be applied to keep the SAAF fleet in most urgent need of spare parts in the air as many aircraft have been grounded for lack of spare parts”.
SAAF aircraft availability is at critically low levels across all divisions. A recent assessment covering the six-month period from September 2024 to March 2025, which defenceWeb has seen, laid bare the extent to which underfunding, maintenance backlogs, and spare part shortages have compromised the force's readiness.
The report stated there are currently 13 Gripen airframes available and serviceable, under a contract that expires in August 2025. The Hawk fleet is also under a service contract for 12 air frames, until 2029. A total of 26 Gripens and 24 Hawks were originally acquired. One Gripen has been written off and two Hawks damaged in accidents.
The Oryx fleet has suffered extensive maintenance delays, with availability ranging from zero to just 44 percent in the last six months, meaning only 4 out of 13 aircraft are operational, while the fleet consists of 37 total airframes, after two were written off after crashing. Many remain grounded due to overdue servicing or a lack of spare parts.
Externally deployed aircraft, particularly Oryx helicopters in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), are suffering from major spare part shortages. Only 33 percent of the deployed fleet is currently operational, with just 1 out of 3 helicopters available, significantly impacting South Africa's peacekeeping commitments. Two Oryx were flown to Entebbe, Uganda, for servicing. A further two Oryx were recently flown to Entebbe to cover for the two DRC examples undergoing servicing. A fifth Oryx (1247) is currently stuck at Goma Airport, having been hit by rebel ground fire while en route to Goma airport on 2 February 2024.
Of the SAAF's three C212 light transport aircraft, two aircraft require recovery after incidents. One suffered a runway excursion during Exercise Vuk'uhlome in November 2023. Airbus has been contracted to carry out maintenance from August 2022 to end July 2025. The contractor has been performing well to date, and all spares and repairs have been delivered within communicated time lines. However, Armscor last year revealed that C212 maintenance was underfunded (R43 million funded out of R70 million required).
The C-130 Hercules, essential for strategic and tactical airlift and humanitarian operations, is entirely unavailable, with none out of six aircraft operational, exacerbating logistical difficulties. C-130 tail number 401, the oldest of the fleet, originally acquired in 1963, has undertaken several test flights from Waterkloof Air Force Base throughout March, but is not fully operational. Another C-130 is with Marshall Aerospace in the UK for upgrades and maintenance.
H55 Showcases Electric Aviation Innovation at the 51st Sun 'N Fun Aerospace Expo
H55, the electric aviation leader and spin-off of the pioneering Solar Impulse project, is proud to unveil its latest innovation-the B23 Energic, a fully electric training and general aviation airplane-at the 51st Sun 'n Fun Aerospace Expo.
This is the first stop of the H55 'Across America' tour from April to August 2025, where H55 will deliver real-world electric propulsion with flight demonstrations for flight schools, aero clubs, military service academies, aeronautical universities and general aviation hubs.
Setting new standards in electric aviation, the B23 Energic, powered by H55's electric propulsion battery technology, manufactured by Bristell, offers benefits such as economical operating costs, enhanced efficiency, and quieter operation compared to traditional combustion models.
H55 is offering an exclusive U.S. Founder's Edition for the first 20 buyers-featuring special pre-catalogue launch pricing. Secure your spot as an innovation pioneer with H55's cutting-edge electric propulsion technology. Take advantage of this exclusive offer and secure your place in the next era of flight. Connect with our sales team today to be one of the few members of the H55's U.S. Founder's Edition.
Martin Larose, H55 CEO, states, “Our breakthrough electric technology is transforming the aviation landscape. With quieter, more economical, and emission-free flight, we're empowering flight schools, aeroclubs, airports, and military academies with an interesting alternative to traditional combustion powered aircraft”.
Gregory Blatt, H55's Co-founder and Across USA Mission Director, goes on to say, “At this year's Sun 'n Fun Expo, H55 is demonstration how electric propulsion is redefining the technical standards of aviation-offering OEMs, flight schools, and operators a scalable path to cleaner, quieter, and more economically efficient flight. The strong interest in H55's presence has been reflected in the high volume of meeting requests and product demonstration inquiries-clear indicators of the growing market demand for electric propulsion and the role H55 is playing in shaping the future of sustainable aviation”.
Follow H55's 'Across USA' tour by visiting Across-USA.H55 where you can find all the details of the H55 8-state 'Across America' tour. Stay tuned to find the latest updates as the B23 Energic flies across the U.S. Enthusiasts, industry stakeholders and general aviation communities can connect with the H55 team, find tour location stop-overs, access product information, schedule personalized briefings, and receive personalized sales support. Additionally get a sneak peek into the tour with videos, photos, blogs as well as various key moments from the Across America tour.
Austrian Airlines Equips Four Boeing 777-200ers With Innovative Sharkskin Technology
Austrian Airlines completed the installation of AeroSHARK surface technology on four of its Boeing 777-200ER aircraft. The long-haul aircraft with the tail signs OE-LPA, OE-LPB, OE-LPC and OE-LPD are the first Boeing B777-200ER aircraft worldwide to be modified with the sharkskin technology developed by Lufthansa Technik and BASF. The film significantly reduces frictional resistance and thus lowers CO2 emissions and fuel consumption of the Austrian Airlines long-haul fleet.
The application of a total of 830 square meters of AeroSHARK film per aircraft on the fuselage and engine nacelles achieves a saving of around one percent of total fuel consumption per flight. Applied to the four Austrian Boeing 777s, the airline projects a total fuel savings of around 2,650 metric tons and a reduction of over 8,300 metric tons of CO2 emissions by 2028. This corresponds to around 46 flights from Vienna to New York.
Francesco Sciortino, Chief Operations Officer of Austrian Airlines commented: “With our four 'sharkskin' aircraft, we are connecting Austria with the world even more efficiently. This cutting-edge technology allows us to maximize the fuel efficiency of our Boeing 777-200ER fleet until their rollover - making a valuable contribution to a more sustainable future.”
Harald Gloy, Chief Operations Officer of Lufthansa Technik said: “With Austrian Airlines, another airline has recognized and adopted the benefits of our sharkskin technology. The first four Boeing 777-200ERs are now equipped with AeroSHARK - and we hope many more will follow to further improve fleet efficiency.”
Austrian Airlines is the first airline to apply this technology to the Boeing 777-200ER. Previously, Lufthansa Technik secured the necessary extension of the Supplemental Type Certificate from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency for the use on this aircraft type.
AeroSHARK is a surface film featuring fine ribbed structures, known as riblets, that measure approximately 50 micrometres in size. These structures are designed to imitate the texture of sharkskin, improving aerodynamics in specific areas of the aircraft.
Milkor Busy with Milkor 380 Production and Deliveries as UAV Project Enters a New Phase
Armand Liebenberg www.defenceweb.co.za
Milkor continues to make strides with its Milkor 380 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), with the project now moving from its development phase to an industrial phase.
This is according to Daniel du Plessis, Milkor's Marketing and Communications Director. Speaking exclusively to defenceWeb, du Plessis said: “the project is now essentially moving away from a development phase. Up until 2023 we were still developing quite a few things in terms of software hardware and aircraft components, as well as testing.”
This culminated in the Milkor 380's first flight in September 2023, with du Plessis adding that “a very stringent flight-testing campaign has taken place since then.”
Flight testing has primarily taken place at Air Force Base Overberg, co-located with the Denel Overberg Test Range (OTR), and overseen by the South African Air Force with which Milkor has a testing and evaluation agreement. The Western Cape facility is situated across 43 000 hectares with a 70 km coastline facing virtually unrestricted sea; the air base at Overberg provides runway and ground support services for all types of aircraft.
Du Plessis told defenceWeb “the project is essentially nearing the end of its maturity in terms of development but now more nearing more towards a finalised solution.” He added that, “we are expecting to see a rapid increase in the industrialisation cycle and also the manufacturing capabilities within the company to keep up with the demand for pending contracts that we're expecting.”
Annual UAV production stands at eight per year, with plans to reach sixteen units a year by 2026. Last year Milkor had half a dozen Milkor 380s under construction at its Cape Town manufacturing facility.
The Milkor 380 was developed from the earlier MA (Milkor Aeospace) 80, an 80 kg demonstrator which flew in 2017. As a Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) UAV, the Milkor 380 boasts impressive specifications, having a wingspan of 18.6 meters and a maximum take-off weight of 1 500 kilograms, making it the largest such aircraft designed and built in Africa.
It is built to carry out extended operations and boasts a maximum endurance of 30 hours (when flying at 60 knots and an altitude of 10 000 feet above mean sea level) and a range of over 4 000 kilometres, making it ideal for long-range missions such as border surveillance, maritime patrols, and combat operations.
The UAV is equipped with dual redundant Line of Sight (LOS) communications systems that can maintain contact with its control unit for up to 250 km, with seamless transition between Line of Sight and Beyond Line of Sight (BLOS) communications, such as SATCom.
Milkor has partnered with leading companies, such as Germany's Hensoldt, to integrate sophisticated sensor suites, including the ARGOS II HDT Airborne Observation System with laser designator capabilities. These sensors are designed for precision targeting in combat operations and enhance the UAV's intelligence-gathering and electronic warfare capabilities. The Milkor 380 can carry up to 220 kg of payload, including munitions, communication pods and electronic warfare systems.
The Milkor 380 is powered by a four-stroke, four-cylinder turbocharged Rotax 915iS engine developing 135 hp, which gives a maximum speed of 250 km/h and cruising speed of 110-150 km/h.
Payload is 220 kg (excluding fuel), with each outer wing hardpoint able to accommodate 80 kg while each inner wing hardpoint can carry 150 kg. An underbelly station is designed to accommodate the largest payload and is rated to 400 kg. The aircraft's nose is capable of housing several different electro optical/infrared and radar sensors.
The Milkor 380 can be armed, and has already been displayed with Al Tariq X-series precision guided munitions, Halcon Desert Sting DS-16 guided bombs, and FZ602 laser-guided rocket launchers. A mockup of a Milkor-developed missile has also been shown under the aircraft, as Milkor is exploring in-house missile development.
While the Milkor 380 is primarily designed for military use, Milkor envisions dual-purpose applications, particularly in the civilian and commercial sectors. For instance, it can be deployed for maritime surveillance, wildlife conservation and humanitarian missions. The company has partnered with Aerodata AG, a German firm specializing in maritime surveillance, to explore the UAV's potential in monitoring special economic zones and conducting routine maritime patrols. This version is known as the AeroForce 380.
The Milkor 380's production phase has paved the way for an even larger follow-on project, the Milkor 780. This high-altitude, long-endurance UAV is expected to carry 2 700 kilograms of payload and have a flight time of 30-40 hours. Milkor hopes to unveil it at the 2026 edition of the Africa Aerospace and Defence (AAD) exhibition.
Milkor is participating in the LAAD 2025 exhibition currently underway in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 1 to 4 April, where it is showcasing its air, land, and sea solutions.
Airlink's world-class environmental stewardship and sustainability practices have been recognised by the International Air Transport Association's (IATA) Environmental Assessment (IEnvA) Organisation.Airlink's IEnvA certification confirms its compliance with global standards for environmental practices and also with the Buckingham Palace Declaration for combatting illegal wildlife trade. Airlink's IEnvA certification will also benefit its customers and partners.
“Airlink's business and leisure customers are increasingly focussed on limiting their environmental impact. Similarly, environmental preservation and wildlife are core to the livelihoods, enterprises and economies of many of the destinations we serve. As a vital link in that chain, Airlink has a duty to make a positive environmental impact. IATA's endorsement and international certification will help Airlink strengthen trust with its customers, industry partners, regulators and other key players,” explained de Villiers Engelbrecht, Airlink Chief Executive Officer.
“Playing our part in the global fight against illegal wildlife trade underpins the values of our airline. This was evidenced in our recent collaboration between Airlink Cargo and the Royal Foundation's United for Wildlife's Transport Taskforce in the repatriation of some of the world's most vulnerable and endangered animals back to their natural habitats in Madagascar,” added Hardus Kuschke, Airlink Executive Manager Cargo responsible for Environmental Affairs.
The IATA Environmental Assessment (IEnvA) voluntary certification programme independently assesses the commitment of airlines, airports, cargo handling facilities, freight forwarders and other aviation role players, to continuously improve their environmental and sustainability performance. It is based on globally recognised standards and industry best practices, including the ISO 14001 environmental management system standard and the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA). IEnvA also provides guidelines, procedures and other tools to help organisations improve their sustainability management.
The 2016 Buckingham Palace Declaration is a landmark agreement initiated by United for Wildlife, an organisation founded by Prince William and The Royal Foundation, to combat illegal wildlife trade. It aims to shut down transportation routes exploited by traffickers of illegal wildlife products and focuses on removing vulnerabilities in the transport and customs sectors.
9 & 10 March 1945
The Great Tokyo Air Raid, an overnight incendiary bombing raid by B-29 Superfortresses on Tokyo, is one of the most destructive air raids in history. It creates a conflagration which destroys 41 square kilometres (16 sq mi) of the city, killing an estimated 88,000 to 125,000 people, injuring at least 41,000 and perhaps as many as a million people, and leaving probably a million people homeless.
The key development that enabled the USAAF to bomb Japan at scale was the B-29 Superfortress strategic bomber, which had an operational range of 3,250 nautical miles (3,740 mi; 6,020 km) and was capable of attacking at high altitude above 30,000 feet (9,100 m), where Japanese air defenses struggled to reach them. Almost 90% of the bombs dropped on the Japanese home islands were delivered by the B-29. The capture of islands sufficiently close to Japan (particularly Saipan and Tinian, seized in June 1944) enabled B-29s based at airfields there to bomb the home islands with increasing regularity
USA, Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, GA (ATL/KATL): Alaska Airlines flight AS474, a Boeing 737 MAX 9, suffered a blown tire during takeoff from runway 26L at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, GA (ATL). Tire debris was found east of taxiway D. The aircraft continued to the destination, San Diego International Airport, CA (SAN), and landed without incident. Damage was found to left the engine adjacent to the blown tire (right tire of left main gear).
Russia, Saransk, Republic of Mordovia: On the morning of 5 April 2025, a modified Aeroprakt A-22 Foxbat light sport aircraft crashed into an optical fibre manufacturing plant in Saransk, Republic of Mordovia. The aircraft had been used as an ersatz unmanned attack aircraft, but failed to detonate, crashing into the grounds of the industrial complex. During the night the facility had been attacked by Antonov An-196 Liutyi drones, causing damage to the facade of the winding tower. The attack was conducted by the Ukrainian Main Directorate of Intelligence. The attack was acknowledged by Artyom Zdunov, the head of the Republic of Mordovia, releasing the following statement: "Tonight, one of Mordovia's enterprises was attacked by UAVs. To eliminate the consequences, all necessary forces and means are involved. Operational and emergency services operate on the territory. According to preliminary information, there are no victims."
Japan, 60 km off Iki island, Nagasaki prefecture: An air ambulance helicopter went missing east of Tsushima island. The helicopter was found floating inverted on the sea surface c 60 km off Iki island with inflated floats. Three of six occupants, a pilot, a mechanic and a nurse were found clinging to the floats and were rescued three hours later. The other three occupants, a patient, her family member and a doctor were found trapped in the cabin, but they were confirmed dead on arrival at the Fukuoka Wajiro Hospital.
