Latest news with #planecrash
ABC News
2 days ago
- General
- ABC News
Two men killed in plane crash west of Brisbane
Two men have died in a plane crash at Oakey, west of Brisbane. Emergency Services were called to Oakey Cooyar Road just after 3pm on Sunday, to reports a light plane had come down. A Queensland Fire Department spokesperson said crews arrived at the scene to find the plane well alight and quickly extinguished the blaze. Six ambulances were called to the crash but were stood down. The men could not be saved. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) said the incident had been reported, and they would be investigating the crash.
ABC News
4 days ago
- ABC News
Body found in search for missing pilot
NSW Police have found a body during their search for a missing pilot whose plane crashed in the Snowy Mountains. ( Supplied: ACT Police )
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Pilot Missing in Snow-Covered Mountains After Plane Is Found Crashed in 'Steep Alpine Terrain'
NEED TO KNOW A pilot is missing after his plane was disappeared in the Snowy Mountains of Australia on Tuesday, July 15 David Stephens, 74, was not located when his 1966 Beechcraft Debonair plane was found by search teams on Thursday, July 17 Stephens was traveling to Moruya on the New South Wales coast when he took off from Wangaratta in VictoriaThe pilot of a small aircraft is missing after it was found crashed in a remote area of the Snowy Mountains in Australia. David Stephens, 74, was not located when his 1966 Beechcraft Debonair plane was discovered by search and rescue teams on Thursday, July 17, according to The missing flyer took off from the town of Wangaratta in Victoria on Tuesday and was en route to Moruya on the New South Wales coast, around 350 miles to the east, reported the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), The wreckage of the aircraft, which had been missing since Tuesday, was found at around 4 p.m. on Thursday, and search teams are now scouring the Snowy Mountains for any signs of him. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 'About 4.35 p.m. on Tuesday, July 15 2025, emergency services were notified of a possible plane crash in the vicinity of Dargals Trail, Snowy Valleys,' the New South Wales Police Force wrote in a release. 'The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) was notified by Air Services Australia that a plane took off from Victoria, bound for Moruya Airport; however, it never arrived.' 'About 8.30 a.m. today (Wednesday, July 16), the multi-agency search resumed, involving officers attached to NSWS Police Rescue and Bomb Disposal Unit, State Emergency Services, National Parks and Wildlife Service and Snowy Hydro,' officials added. 'The AMSA Challenger rescue jet and two helicopters, from Victoria and Sydney conducted an overhead search,' the release continued. 'About 4.00 p.m. today (Thursday, July 17, 2025), a rescue helicopter located what is believed to be the crashed plane near the plane's last known GPS location.' Authorities concluded, 'NSW Police Force now have carriage of this matter with investigations to continue tomorrow (Friday, July 18, 2025).' Dan Gilllis, duty manager at the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) also told ABC, "The trails are heavily snowed in. It's very rugged terrain and very steep alpine terrain that they're trying to navigate through." PEOPLE has contacted NSW Police Force and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) for further comment According to ABC, Stephen's wife Lynda Leigh described her husband as an experienced pilot. "Unfortunately, David disappeared on his flight home on Tuesday after having his aircraft inspected," she told the outlet. 'It is known that the mountain weather can turn very quickly, and we can only assume he must have seen a way over the mountain to decide not to turn back to Wangaratta.' "David has quite a bit of experience flying that plane, but we can't know what situation he was facing, and we'll only have answers once they locate the plane and with that David," she added. Stephens was also a member of the Frog's Hollow Flyers aero club. Tony Rettke, the club's president, told ABC that he had serviced his plane at Wangaratta before take off. "[It would] only be a minor amount of work, the aircraft was immaculate, an incredibly beautiful aircraft, well maintained," he said. 'He must have done everything he needed to do, just with a basic service, probably an oil change, the usual stuff that goes with 100 hours, and he headed off that afternoon." Stephens is set to retire from his career in accounting in two months, reported ABC. Read the original article on People
Sky News
5 days ago
- General
- Sky News
All four people killed in Southend plane crash thought to be foreign nationals, police say
All four people who died in Sunday's plane crash at Southend Airport are thought to have been foreign nationals, police have said. The medical transport aircraft had dropped off a patient and was beginning its journey back to the Netherlands when it crashed at about 3.48pm on Sunday. Two Dutch pilots were among those on board, according to a document which lists passengers, the PA news agency understands. On board too was a Chilean nurse, 31-year-old Maria Fernanda Rojas Ortiz, also known as Fena, Sky News understands. No details have been released about the fourth person's nationality, though Essex Police said the deceased were all foreign nationals. 1:24 John Johnson, who was at the airport with his wife and children, said he saw a "big fireball" exploding across the sky as the plane plunged "head first into the ground". "We all waved at the pilots, and they all waved back at us," he said. "The aircraft then turned 180 degrees to face its take-off, powered up [and] rolled down the runway. "It took off and about three or four seconds [later] it started to bank heavily to its left, and then within a few seconds of that happening, it more or less inverted and crashed just head first into the ground." Mr Johnson added: "There was a big fireball. Obviously, everybody was in shock [after] witnessing it." Chief Superintendent Morgan Cronin said the plane "got into difficulty" shortly after taking off and "crashed within the airport boundary". He added: "Sadly, we can now confirm that all four people on board died. "We are working to officially confirm their identities. At this stage, we believe all four are foreign nationals." Ambulances and fire crews were also called in. Southend Airport said it would be "closed until further notice" and urged people to contact their airlines. Its staff are "working closely with the emergency services and air accident investigators". Zeusch Aviation, based at Lelystad Airport in the Netherlands, confirmed its flight SUZ1 had been "involved in an accident" at the airport and its thoughts were with "everyone who has been affected". The plane involved is reportedly a Beech B200 Super King Air with twin-propellers. The Air Accidents Investigation Branch said a "multi-disciplinary team" arrived at the site on Sunday afternoon. Lisa Fitzsimons, a senior investigator, said it is "too early to speculate" on what may have caused the crash. 0:47 'Airport in lockdown' Wren Stranix, 16, from Woodbridge in Suffolk, was in another aircraft waiting to take off for Newquay in Cornwall with her family and boyfriend when the plane came down. They watched as the emergency services arrived and were unable to leave their seats. "The flight attendant didn't know what was going on," she told Sky News. "They said the plane had exploded and they didn't know if it was safe or not. The airport was in lockdown." EasyJet, one of only a few airlines to use the airport, said all its remaining flights to and from Southend had been "diverted" or were "no longer able to operate". David Burton-Sampson, the MP for Southend West and Leigh, asked people to keep away from the area and "allow the emergency services to do their work" in a post on social media. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said she was "monitoring the situation closely and receiving regular updates". Sir Keir Starmer, the prime minister, said it was "terrible news that four people [had] tragically lost their lives" and he thanked the emergency services.
Daily Mail
7 days ago
- Daily Mail
Plane that crashed in UK was medical aircraft owned by Dutch IT millionaire
Four foreign nationals were killed in a plane crash at London Southend Airport after a small aircraft owned by an IT millionaire exploded into a fireball moments after take-off on Sunday. The plane, operated by the Dutch company Zeusch Aviation, is owned by Dutch man Con Zwinkels, who also piloted a Boeing 747 for Martinair, according to Dutch daily newspaper De Telegraaf. Essex Police chief superintendent Morgan Cronin confirmed that all four people onboard the plane were foreign nationals. Two Dutch pilots and a Chilean nurse were among those on board, according to a document which lists passengers. Cronin told a press conference: 'Yesterday afternoon, an aircraft which had landed here earlier in the day took off bound for the Netherlands. 'Shortly after take-off, it got into difficulty and crashed within the airport boundary. Sadly, we can now confirm that all four people on board died. We are working to officially confirm their identities. At this stage, we believe all four are foreign nationals.' It is also understood that the plane had dropped off a patient at Southend and was due to return to its base in the Netherlands. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has paid tribute to four people killed saying his 'thoughts are with their families and loved ones'. Cronin added: 'Our detectives and forensic teams are working in parallel with air accident investigators, the Royal Air Force, Essex Fire and Rescue Service and London Southend Airport to build an accurate picture of what happened. 'To aid our investigation, the Civil Aviation Authority has put in place a significant air exclusion zone surrounding the crash site. 'We're also speaking with dozens of witnesses, some of whom have already provided video footage, and we'd like to thank them for their help. I know this would be an extremely distressing scene for them. 'I know there will be a lot of questions about what happened here yesterday. We are doing all we can to establish the facts and get those answers.' The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has launched an investigation into what caused the Beech B200 Super King Air to suddenly plummet to the ground. Lisa Fitzsimons of the AAIB said at this stage 'it is too early to speculate' on what may have caused the plane crash. She added: 'Our focus is on gathering the physical evidence from the accident site and interviewing witnesses. 'The remains of the aircraft will then be recovered to our facility in Farnborough, Hampshire, for further detailed investigation.' Ben Guppy, 34, who had taken his one-year-old daughter to the fifth floor of a nearby Holiday Inn hotel to watch the planes take off and land, told he saw the plane reach 'probably 50 meters off the runway' before it began tilting left. Describing the moment of impact, he said explained: 'My daughter was pointing at it and then it lifted to the left. The left wing came down, the ring wing came up. I thought he's keen to go left as soon as he takes off. 'He's banking hard left and then the next thing you know, it's like another handbrake turn. He went left so violently and I thought 'What is he doing?' He was only about 100 meters up by this point. 'And then he corkscrewed upside down into the floor, the plane was only in the air for seconds. I looked at it and the fireball went up, there was fire and smoke everywhere. Luckily my daughter was facing the other way.' A plane 'corkscrewing' refers to the moment an aircraft rapidly spirals to towards the ground. Zeusch Aviation, based at Lelystad Airport in The Netherlands, confirmed its SUZ1 flight had been 'involved in an accident' at Southend Airport. The company was 'actively supporting the authorities with the investigation', adding: 'Our thoughts are with everyone who has been affected.' Zeusch Aviation's website says the plane can be used for medical flights to transport patients or organs. It has also been deployed for aerial mapping flights. The plane had flown from the Greek capital Athens to Pula in Croatia on Sunday before heading to Southend. It was scheduled to return to Lelystad on Sunday night. London Southend Airport's chief executive Jude Winstanley said: Our staff are working closely with the emergency services and air accident investigators to support their work. I would like to thank them for all of their hard work during this period. 'We are in constant dialog with our operating airlines, and as I'm sure everyone will understand, the airport will remain closed until further notice. Passengers should contact their airline for information and advice.' Witnesses have told of the terrifying moment the plane crashed into a fireball as they watched on in horror. John Johnson, who was at the airport with his children and wife on Sunday, said they saw a 'big fireball' after the plane crashed 'head first into the ground'. Johnson told the PA news agency: 'We all waved at the pilots, and they all waved back at us. The aircraft then turned 180 degrees to face its take–off, departure, powered up, rolled down the runway. 'It took off and about three or four seconds after taking off, it started to bank heavily to its left, and then within a few seconds of that happening, it more or less inverted and crashed just head first into the ground. There was a big fireball. Obviously, everybody was in shock in terms of witnessing it.' He said he felt 'shaken up' and his thoughts were with the people on the plane and their loved ones. Terrifying: In one video circulating online, passengers were seen boarding with the crash billowing smoke on the other side of the runway
