Updated Nothando Mkhize Share this: Supplied Both the pilot and co-pilot were declared dead at the scene. According to eyewitnesses, there was smoke coming from the chopper and it kept spinning before crashing. They say the pilot was trying to avoid landing on the freeway and also avoided landing in the water. The helicopter landed in a bushy area close to the river. Both have been pulled out of the wreckage. It's still unclear what the cause of the crash was. More details are expected to emerge after the aviation group conducts its investigation