Three passengers died when their plane stalled and rapidly lost altitude, causing it to crash nose-first into the runway and catch fire. Local chief inspector Aaron Wunderlich described scene as ‘quite gruesome’
A couple tragically died when their plane crashed nose-first into a runway, sparking a massive fireball.
Andrew Connors, 55, and his wife Julianne, 54, died when the plane crashed in Shellharbour, Australia, on Saturday morning local time. The third victim is 73-year-old Colin McLaughlin, a close friend to the pair, according to local reports.
The plane is said to have stalled and rapidly lost altitude, causing it to nose dive into the runway and catch fire. The victims were flying in a six-seat, single-engine Piper Cherokee Lance, according to news.com.au.
Harrowing images show the destroyed aircraft on the runway with only its blue-and-white tail remaining in tact.
Local chief inspector Aaron Wunderlich said the private plane was headed for the inner country city of Bathurst when tragedy struck. Police said they have CCTV footage of the crash.
Wunderlich said: “The plane has taken off on the tarmac and gone about 30 metres into the air. At that point, witnesses (said) the aircraft dipped with its left wing coming down and it contacted the tarmac,” he said. “Unfortunately, the plane was engulfed.”
Fire and Rescue Inspector Andrew Barber told the ABC a local fire unit, already at the airport, rushed to the scene. He said: “However, due to the nature of fuel, the fuel exposure, the combustion of the fuel, the occupants had no chance of being saved.
“So the plane, which has been from what Fire and Rescue said, it was broken into multiple pieces by the impact of the crash. It’s still on the site, as are the three people who died, unfortunately, and there will be a full investigation forthcoming by police.”
Inspector Wunderlich said officers attending the scene will be offered counselling. He added: “It’s something they should speak to someone about. It’s quite a gruesome scene. It’s obviously a very tragic incident.” The couple leave behind two children in their 20s.
Last month, an died after the ultralight helicopter he was flying crashed. However, in a horrifying twist, he had been livestreaming his flight and thousands of people watched as he was engulfed in flames.
Tang Feiji was an up-and-coming star in the aviation industry, and had taken to livestreaming his activities for his followers. The 55-year-old had been flying around the countryside of Jiange province in China on Saturday (September 27) when the accident occurred.
He had been broadcasting to just over 1,000 people when the aircraft he was operating — a twin-rotor ultralight helicopter — suddenly began to nosedive. Viewers watched on in horror as Tang desperately tried to stabilise the aircraft, but nothing could be done and the vehicle slammed into the ground, creating a huge fireball.
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