Bathurst Accident

Apparently an aircraft with two onboard has come down and exploded here just near the airport. Don't have any other info at this stage. I knew about it just as it occured an hr or so ago. There are alot of aircraft heading there for the Bathurst 1000 races this weekend.

 

 

<H1>Rescuers sent to find plane crash</H1>

 

October 05, 2006 05:07pm

 

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AN aircraft is believed to have crashed near Bathurst, in central western New South Wales, NRMA CareFlight has said.

 

Australian Search and Rescue (AusSAR) placed an emergency call to NRMA CareFlight about 3.15pm (AEST) today.

 

The plane is believed to have crashed in state forest about 16km north of Bathurst in Winburndale, a NRMA CareFlight spokeswoman said.

 

Two people are believed to be on board.

 

A rescue team had been circling a bushfire about where the plane was believed to have crashed, she said.

 

"I've just spoken to the (CareFlight) pilot.

 

"He is orbiting a bushfire which is believed to have been started by the downed aircraft."

 

A NSW Police spokeswoman has said she is aware of reports of a downed aircraft but has not received confirmation

 

 

Will be putting it close to my parents property then. Sad, sad news

 

 

The Strikemaster aerobatics plane was on a joyflight when it crashed near Winburndale, about 16km north of Bathurst, about 3.15pm (AEST), authorities have said.

 

The crashed plane ignited a 4ha bushfire in a state forest.

 

An NRMA CareFlight spokeswoman has said an emergency call was placed to their office in Orange by the Australian Search and Rescue (AusSAR).

 

AusSAR's aviation rescue arm confirmed the Strikemaster aerobatics plane took off from Bathurst airport with two people on board.

 

A Rural Fire Service (RFS) spokeswoman said a State Forests aircraft was waterbombing the fire and about 24 firefighters were on the ground.

 

 

Know the aircraft well. Probably not survivable unfortunately. It can be quite rugged out there too. Let's hope for some better news.

 

 

I hope its not the Strikemaster that left williamtown yesterday, we helped the crew of that thing move it out of the way in front of our hanger so we could get a Hornet out. we watched as they completed their pre flight inspections...

 

very sad..

 

 

It is a Strikemaster and it appears both occupants are deceased.

 

 

<H1>Two die in small plane crash</H1>

 

By staff writers and wires

 

October 05, 2006 05:07pm

 

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Two men have been confirmed dead in an aircraft crash in central western New South Wales, Australian Search and Rescue says.

 

The plane crashed in state forest about 16km north of Bathurst in Winburndale.

 

Australian Search and Rescue (AusSAR) placed an emergency call to NRMA CareFlight about 3.15pm (AEST) today.

 

A rescue team had been circling a bushfire about where the plane was believed to have crashed, she said.

 

 

Just saw footage on 7. Aircraft is in so many pieces.

 

 

Regardless who is is, if you know them or not it always saddens ones heart to hear of such a tradegy.

 

Don

 

 

i feel terrible over this one, i have never know anyone who has lost their life in an aircraft crash, if its the strikemaster from work yesterday, i was talking to the 2 guys who were flying it, so its a very good chance it was one or both of them that were killed...

 

My sincerest condolences to their family and friends...

 

 

Exactly Don. A tradgedy indeed. I have known a few people who have been killed in aircraft crashes and it certainly does hit home in a different way. Any crash such as this one is just terrible. Someone went out there to have fun and the pilot when out there just doing his job (which he probably loved). That's always the sad part.

 

 

How many Strikemasters are there in Australia ? Jetgirl has one ........

 

 

that is not good news!!!

 

 

Yes I fly one. Jetgirl owns it.

 

It is a sad day when innocent passengers are killed.

 

In-cog-neto

 

 

There are a couple in NSW owned by a good operator in Port Macquarie. He also operates from Williamtown. There are the ones owned by a company the deceased works for and a privately owned one in Perth and Tasy (neither of those flying).

 

 

A sad day indeed. Commiserations to all.

 

Micgrace

 

 

Yes I agree, a very sad day but I was pleased to see the post arrive from Darren (In-cog-neto).

 

Case

 

 

A quote from The Brisbane Courier Mail newspaper below suggests that the aircraft may have broken upin flight.

 

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NRMA CareFlight senior pilot Ken Vote, who first spotted the wreckage, said the tail of the aircraft was some distance from its fuselage.

 

"I would suspect that it's suffered some sort of in-flight break-up," he said.

 

"It's hard to imagine that this piece has hit the ground with the rest of it and bounced a half a mile through the trees.

 

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Case

 

 

G'day all...

 

I'll add my condolances to the families of of who have passed.

 

If I remember correctly (and perhaps Jetgirl can help here) the Strikemaster is fitted with Martin-Baker Ejection seats. Would be interesting to know if these are still operational on privately owned ex-mil aircraft.

 

A Sad day for flying.

 

 

I too pass on my condolances to the families of those who lost their lives and to the operators of the aircraft.

 

Darren and Christine glad to hear (if that is a correct way to say it) that you guys were not involved, it would have been a double tragedy if it had involved some one you know, relief mixed with sadness

 

Stuart

 

 

Sad indeed. Apparently was a 50th Birthday present for the gent:crying: Here is some more via news ltd:

 

ONE of Australia's best aerobatic pilots and his passenger

 

on a jet fighter joyflight were killed when the plane broke up in

 

mid-air yesterday. RAAF veteran Nick Costin, who had 25

 

years experience with aerobatic planes, was flying the Strikemaster jet

 

which crashed after taking off from Bathurst airport.

 

Aviation sources last night said it appeared the jet's tail section had broken off mid-flight.

 

Mr Costin's 50-year-old male passenger was seen off by his family shortly before the crash, which happened just after 1pm.

 

Distraught

 

family members were among the first to raise the alarm when the plane

 

was about an hour overdue. A Careflight helicopter found the fighter's

 

wreckage in dense bushland in a deep valley about 10km from the airport

 

at 3.15pm.

 

It is believed Mr Costin may have been performing a low-level manouevre when part of the tail broke free.

 

Sections of the tail were found almost a kilometre from the wreckage, which burst into flames upon impact, sparkinga bushfire.

 

Mr

 

Costin, who was from Sydney and normally flew out of Bankstown airport,

 

served six years with the RAAF and had competed in national aerobatics

 

titles and jet races in Tasmania.

 

Former passengers referred to him as ``Top Gun'', speaking highly of his professionalism.

 

Superintendent Martin Wookey said he believed Mr Costin made no distress calls beforethe crash.

 

``It is a tragedy. The family were just waiting for the return of the aircraft,'' he said.

 

``I'm

 

not aware of any witnesses. The aircraft was just overdue, it has come

 

down in some pretty rough and inhospitable country.''

 

He said the aircraft had been based at Bathurst for several years and had regularly been used for joyflights.

 

Investigators

 

from the Air Transport Safety Bureau were due to fly to Bathurst last

 

night to begin investigating the crash this morning.

 

Bathurst

 

flight operator Erik Mol said the fighter jets were regularly flown

 

over a nature reserve near the airport and through valleys nearby.

 

 

If I remember correctly (and perhaps Jetgirl can help here) theStrikemaster is fitted with Martin-Baker Ejection seats. Would be

interesting to know if these are still operational on privately owned

 

ex-mil aircraft.

i am pretty certain the seats are Martin bakers, as are the seats in the Mig 15's. our workshop here is equipped to overhaul all types of ejection seats, and all the guys in it are certified and approved Martin bakers overhaulers. a few years ago, 2 guys in the shop made a submission to CASA for permission ot overhaul the civillian versions of the seats. sadly not long after permission was refused, a MIG 15 crashed near nowra i think,

 

i am wondering no just how many lives would have been saved, or possibly be saved in the future if CASA would permit the overhaul and installation of servicable and armed ejection seats....

 

 

Hi,

 

The seats are not allowed to be armed in this country under the present rules. There are other ways to get out of the aircraft though.

 

CASA apparently believe the average joe would pop themselves through a canopy perhaps? We were looking at putting a Gnat on line and had ALL sorts of saga re the darn seats.

 

It will be interesting to see what comes out in the reports. The Strikemaster has an excellent safety and servicability record and really is a great plane.

 

Jetgirl

 

 

But obviously in a catastrophic failure such as this was, ie, losing the tail, surely there would be no other means of escape apart from the ejection seat. Apparently he was low-level too which even further slims the chances of surviving.