Two dead, one survivor as two light planes crash at Caboolture
Updated July 28, 2023 — 3.49pm
A man and a woman have died after two light planes collided close to the ground over an airfield at Caboolture, north of Brisbane, on Friday morning.
Emergency crews were assessing the scene following the crash, which happened about 10.30am.
Wreckage strewn near the Caboolture airfield after two light planes crashed on Friday morning.Credit: Nine News
Australian Transport Safety Bureau chief commissioner Angus Mitchell said the aircraft involved were a Jabiru J430 and a Piper Pawnee. The J430 was taking off from one runway as the Pawnee was landing on a crossing runway.
The Pawnee pilot was uninjured.
Matt Davis, Queensland Ambulance Service’s metro north region senior operations supervisor, said two occupants of the J430 – a man and a woman, both aged in their 60s – died at the scene.
Davis said the Pawnee pilot, a man aged about 70, had no significant injuries and remained at the scene with police and other agencies.
“Any incident involving the loss of life, particularly under these circumstances, is extremely difficult and hard, obviously for the first responders and most importantly for the family,” he said.
Moreton Police acting superintendent Paul Ready confirmed the pilot of the other plane was helping police investigators.
Ready said, “looking at the damage on the ground”, it was “quite lucky” that the survivor was not seriously injured.
He said all emergency services complete regular drills and exercises at the Caboolture Aerodrome, and he praised the quick response of ambulance and fire crews to the accident scene.
Wreackage of one of the planes.Credit: Nine News
He asked members of the public who witnessed the incident to contact police so they could obtain a full picture of the incident.
“It is at the other end of the aerodrome, which is furthest from the Bruce Highway, but there will be people who may well have seen some of the aircraft and their movements prior to the collision.”
The airfield was closed while investigations continue.
Caboolture’s McNaught Road houses the Caboolture Airport which includes the Caboolture Aero Club, the Caboolture Gliding Club and the Caboolture Warplane Museum.
Mitchell, the ATSB’s chief commissioner, said investigators from the bureau’s Brisbane office arrived on-site on Friday afternoon and would be joined by Canberra-based colleagues on Saturday.
“Investigators will begin gathering evidence by mapping the accident site, examining the aircraft wreckage, interviewing the surviving pilot and witnesses, and collecting relevant recorded information such as any CCTV footage and flight tracking data,” he said.
Mitchell asked anyone who witnessed the accident, or had footage of either aircraft at any time of their flights, to make contact via the witness form on the ATSB website at their earliest opportunity.
He said a preliminary report, which would detail information established during the investigation’s initial evidence collection phase, would be released in six to eight weeks.
A final report would list contributing factors and any identified safety issues.
“However, should any critical safety issues be identified at any stage during the course of the investigation, the ATSB will immediately notify relevant parties so appropriate safety action can be taken,” Mitchell said.
There have been previous accidents at the air precinct, including one incident when a Cessna crashed, killing five people, in March 2014.
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