Fatal Plane Crash Tweed Heads

[Guest Fred Bear]

Just saw on Southern Cross TV on the QLD news that a plane has crashed off the coast of Tweed Heads with 6 POB all deceased.Seems it was a piper.Crashed just metres off the beach.No more info as yet.

 

 

[Guest Sabre]

Bad but still better than 6 fatalities

 

 

One dead in light plane crash off NSW coast

 

February 04, 2007 07:34pm

 

Article from: AAP

 

A LIGHT plane has crashed into water off the New South Wales north coast with one person confirmed dead.

 

The plane crashed near Casuarina Beach at Kingscliff about 5.30pm (AEDT) today, a police spokesman said.

 

One body has been recovered from the water and a search is continuing in the area, but police believe there was only one person on board at the time of the crash.

 

A report will now be prepared for the coroner.

 

 

[Guest Fred Bear]

Was just going to post that. Appears the media gets a little carried away when news breaks!

 

 

[Guest Fred Bear]

This from the Courier Mail QLD:

 

February 04, 2007 05:25pm QLD TIME

 

Article from:

 

A LIGHT aircraft crashed into the sea off Casuarina Beach near Kingscliff, just south of the NSW-Queensland border, late today. Two people were reported dead.

 

Early reports said that as many as six people were on board the Piper Cherokee.

 

Bystanders said the pilot appeared to have attempted an emergency landing on the beach, but the plane plunged into sea just off the shore.

 

The plane crashed about 4.30pm.

 

Two bodies were reported to have been recovered from the water and a search was continuing in the area.

 

 

[Guest David C]

Early reports said that as many as six people were on board the Piper Cherokee.

[/quote

 

Ch7 has now reported it as a twin engined aircraft .

 

Dave

[Guest Fred Bear]

Girl witnessed pilot's leap

 

By Greg Stolz and Leigh Lalonde

 

February 05, 2007 12:46am

 

Article from:

 

A GIRL told police she saw a person leap from a light plane moments before it plunged into the ocean off a northern NSW beach yesterday.

 

Bobbi-Jay Fairlie, 9, was on Casuarina Beach with her dog just before 4.30pm (AEDT) when she saw the Piper Cherokee, which had carried only the pilot, crash in rugged surf 100m from shore.

 

"I saw the plane go past and do a big circle and then someone jumped out before it crashed into the water," she said.

 

"I ran straight home real fast to tell my mum and dad. I was scared and sad."

 

Bobbi-Jay's father, Paul, and several other Casuarina locals rushed to the beach and swam out to look for survivors.

 

"I swam past part of the wing - I could taste and smell the fuel in the water," Mr Fairlie said.

 

Another Casuarina man, Brent Lambert, was having an early dinner when he saw the aircraft "coming down over the trees at a 45-degree angle towards the ocean".

 

"It was coming down on a sharp angle. It was coming down hard and fast," Mr Lambert said.

 

"We heard a massive splash and ran straight down here (to the beach) to look for survivors and wreckage. I rang Triple 0 and went straight into the ocean.

 

"We didn't see anyone but there was a lot of debris - all the seat covers and safety gear were scattered through the water."

 

Surf lifesavers on jet skis and inflatable rubber boats scoured the break for survivors and wreckage. A body, believed to be that of a male pilot, was recovered soon after the search began, along with wreckage.

 

Australian Transport Safety Bureau spokesman Chris Sullivan said the plane had taken off from the Coolangatta Airport on the Gold Coast but would not give further details.

 

Civil Aviation Safety Authority spokeswoman Michelle Harris said the pilot reported engine problems to air traffic control just before the light, twin-engine Piper Cherokee descended rapidly into the ocean.

 

"The pilot attempted to land on the beach," Ms Harris said.

 

Air crash investigators are expected on the scene this morning.

 

Gordon Walker, from the Casuarina Residents' Association, was at the scene of the crash. Mr Walker said a wallet was recovered: "It looked like a man's wallet to me," he said.

 

"The initial assumption was there were two people on board. But only one body was recovered. The story was later amended to only the one person."

 

Handing down his findings last year into a 2002 Piper Cherokee crash on Hamilton Island, which claimed six lives, state coroner Michael Barnes noted that the aircraft type had been involved in 134 accidents or serious incidents between 1969 and 2001, of which 46 involved fuel tank incidents.

 

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

That wing tip fuel tank looks like twin commanche

 

 

[Kaz]

Does anyone else think that the news people reporting on the comments of a 9 year is a little irresponsible? :;)1:

 

 

[Guest pelorus32]

Hi #1 Passenger,

 

I don't know...I've always found my kids and others to be very astute observers so long as you are very careful to ask open questions and not to lead them. Indeed they often provided the "facts" as they saw them uncoloured by beliefs and biases.

 

I think more to the point is the undoubted problem that the news organisations will report anyone or anything without the slightest diligence in checking accuracy. Indeed I often think that they are like auctioneers - they take bids from the non-existent bloke up the back.

 

Regards

 

Mike

 

 

[Guest Fred Bear]

This poor unfortunate pilot has jumped from the aircraft before impact contacting the left engine and prop.Sad event indeed.

 

 

[Kaz]

Hi Mike, I definitely agree that kids can accuratley tell things how they happened if given the chance. I just don't think it was the right situation, although it seems that the little girl may have got it right...

 

 

[Guest bateo]

I remember when I was around 13, I watched a pilot land his cherokee while he was half kneeling on the wing... He then bailed the aircraft as soon as he got it down as there was suspected fire... He was fine and I never thought it'd be possible to land a plane from the wing..

 

I think in this situation, you have to take a child's word.. as by details, no body else saw the accident and well, jumping into water before impact I would of thought there could of been a chance of survival??

 

 

[Yenn]

I can't understand this. How can a Cherokee pilot jump into the left prop? All the cherokees I have seen have the only door on the starboard side. To land a cherokee while being on the wing would mean you would be thrown through the right prop, unless you could drop off the rear of the wing.

 

Ian Borg

 

 

[Guest Fred Bear]

I am not getting further involved with the ins and outs of this accident as I would be breaking confidentiality in more ways that one. I don't know the ins and outs of this accident as I was not there and cannot comment I am just stating fact about this persons injuries as being consistent with being struck by a propeller.Whether this was in mid air or in the water I have no idea.Time will tell.

 

 

[Student Pilot]

The news also reported a rescue helicopter dropping a person down who pulled the pilot from the immersed Aircraft. I don't know how you would get out of a twin Comanchee whilst it's still flying unless the door was jetsoned somehow. You can't open a door any more than 4 or so inches when flying, not enough to get out. It takes a bit of effort to climb out of a Piper door when on the ground, engine stopped. All pointers to ditching say remain in the Aircraft and get out when movement stops, why would you jump out? The injuries could have been caused by a still turning propeller as the Aircraft contacted the water hard and broke up.