Shellharbour, Australia, October 12: A light plane crashed shortly after taking off from Shellharbour Airport in New South Wales on Saturday morning, killing all three people on board, local authorities said.
The Piper Saratoga aircraft went down around 10 a.m. local time, approximately 85 km (53 miles) south of Sydney, while attempting a flight to Bathurst in regional New South Wales. Upon impact, the plane caught fire, leaving charred wreckage visible on the runway.
Emergency crews from Fire and Rescue NSW and the Rural Fire Service (RFS) responded immediately, aided by personnel who were already on site for a training exercise. However, the occupants could not be saved due to the combustion of fuel, Fire and Rescue NSW Inspector Andrew Barber said.
The pilot, identified as Andrew Connors, owner of the aircraft, and two passengers were killed. Authorities have not yet released the identities of the passengers.
Eyewitnesses reported seeing the aircraft struggling to gain altitude immediately after take-off, and CCTV footage captured part of the incident. Chief Inspector Wunderlich described the scene as “tragic” and “quite a gruesome scene.” The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) will conduct an investigation to determine the cause of the crash. Early reports suggest the plane failed to achieve sufficient altitude before impact.
