Crash kills 2 today on QLD sunshine coast

[Guest brentc]

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...4-1702,00.html

 

Not good. Pulsar Ultralight.

 

 

[jimecho1]

Brisbane Courier Mail, 7.10 pm

 

TWO people have been killed in an ultralight plane crash off the coast of Caloundra.

 

A police spokesman said the plane was seen spinning in the air about 2.40pm before it spiralled towards the water.

 

The spokesman said the plane ditched into the ocean 2.5 nautical miles southeast of the Caloundra Bar, between Caloundra Beach and Bray's Rocks.

 

Australian Search and Rescue spokeswoman Rhianne Philip said a 53-year-old man and a woman were the only two onboard.

 

She said people on a private boat were in the area when the plane crashed. The were first on the scene and retrieved the bodies from the water.

 

They then handed the bodies over to water police who arrived on the scene.

 

Miss Philip said the ultralight was a privately owned plane.

 

Pilot of the Energex Rescue helicopter John Hodges said when he and intensive care paramedic Dan Statham arrived about 3.25pm they could see the tail of the aircraft, some fuselage and a lot of debris in the water.

 

"It had disintegrated on impact and all that was left was debris that was spread about 1km over the water," he said.

 

"The tail itself was broken into two separate pieces and secured behind the coastguard boat to be towed."

 

Caloundra resident Keith Eglen said he did not hear anything when the plane crashed but looked out of his Kings Beach home and saw the tail of the plane in the water about 3.20pm.

 

"I didn't see it go in but the tail seemed to be floating for a while and poking out of the water," he said.

 

"When I went back to look about half an hour later it was gone.

 

"By then there was a police boat there and a couple of people on jetskis."

 

The dead have not been named.

 

Recreational Aviation Australia Executive director Paul Middleton said the ultra light plane was registered with the organisation but he could not elaborate further at this time.

 

He said an investigator was on his way to assist police with their investigation.

 

Mr Middleton said ultralight planes were regulated to fly up to 20km offshore, depending on the type of equipment on board.

 

He said items such as life vests were required to be on board the aircraft.

 

 

[Guest brentc]

More news. They were very quick to release the names. A spiral dive into the water sounds terrible to say the least. My condolences.

 

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,21923497-5005961,00.html

 

 

[Guest David C]

Very sad indeed . A tragic accident . May both of the victims RIP , and my condolences to the bereaved family .

 

Dave C

 

 

[Sky Gazer]

Are these 2 reports about the same incident?

 

They seem to be 2 entirely different accounts of the post crash events.

 

My sincere Condolances to the family - What a tragic and senseless loss.

 

Peter.

 

 

[jimecho1]

Yes, it's the same incident. You certainly wouldn't want two like it on the same day. The aircraft seems to have been a pulsar. They've recovered the tail section and that might tell investigators why the plane spiralled in.

 

 

[Mick]

There was a Pulsar that made a short stop at Maryborough Qld on Saturday ( day before this accident ), I suspect it may have been the same aircraft.