One person dead following light aircraft crash near Port Douglas.

[farri]

UPDATE 8.20pm: Police and emergency services remain at the scene of the ultra-light aircraft crash that occurred near Port Douglas this afternoon.

 

No Cookies | The Cairns Post

 

Frank.

 

 

[facthunter]

Thanks Franco. Can't find out much yet anywhere else. Nev

 

 

[BirdDog]

Oh man! :(

 

 

[biggles]

UPDATE 8.20pm: Police and emergency services remain at the scene of the ultra-light aircraft crash that occurred near Port Douglas this afternoon.No Cookies | The Cairns Post

 

Frank.

This strip is located a few km’s North of the Port Douglas/Cook Hwy turnoff. Nothing doing when I called in a few months ago, but seems to cater for mainly trikes and home of Port Douglas Microlights .... Bob

 

BTW Frank here is that 3.5 croc we recently saw in the Russell and one your good self ..B

 

 

 

[pmccarthy]

Yesterday:\

 

Queensland Ambulance Service have confirmed the pilot involved in the light aircraft crash near Port Douglas has died.

 

About 7pm, it was reported that efforts to rescusitate the patient had stopped.

 

The person was said to be flying a Microlight aircraft and crash-landed near a small airstrip between Mossman and Port Douglas.

 

Multiple emergency crews attended the site, where the aircraft was left in a wreck.

 

Initial inquiries indicate the aircraft crashed into an airfield on the Captain Cook Highway shortly before 5.30pm.

 

The 66-year-old male pilot and sole occupant of the aircraft was pronounced deceased at the scene.

 

No one else was injured as a result of the incident.

 

Forensic Crash Unit investigations are continuing with assistance from Recreational Aviation Australia and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.

 

 

[Jaba-who]

Further info.

 

Trike “ultralight”.

 

Pilot who had taken up flying late and took many hours more than usual to learn to fly.

 

Had bought a two stroke and instructor felt it was about suited to his skill level.

 

His mate apparently convinced him to upgrade and get a bigger four stroke machine to go touring. Spent the day with the mate two up in the new machine.

 

Then went solo for first time in the new machine.

 

Take off went bad - rolled one way then the other and then nose down at full power rolling dive into the trees.

 

His instructor thinks he probably was not used to the change in performance solo plus maybe difference in torque of the four stroke created the roll that he didn’t correct quickly enough.

 

 

[Jabiru7252]

So, was the mate an instructor taking the poor fellow through an 'endorsement' on the bigger aircraft? This is the sort of thing that damages our sport badly.

 

 

[Jaba-who]

So, was the mate an instructor taking the poor fellow through an 'endorsement' on the bigger aircraft? This is the sort of thing that damages our sport badly.

Don’t know what the mates qualifications were/are. But was not the instructor who taught him to fly originally.

 

 

[Thruster88]

Thanks for the report Jaba-who, it may save someone that's in a similar situation, better than us all wondering what happened for the next two or more years.

 

 

[slb]

What aircraft was he flying?

 

 

[Jaba-who]

What aircraft was he flying?

Sorry can’t help you there.

 

I was told. It was a trike of some sort.

 

With a four stroke engine.

 

I don’t know much about trikes Well actually that’s not true I know nothing about trikes.

 

 

[slb]

Thanks Jaba-who. I was just wondering if it was another Trike 912-XT with an Arrow wing. I guess we will wait for a report to come in for further details

 

.

 

 

[eightyknots]

It is all very tragic. Condolences to the family.