Plane enthusiasts were left horrified after an aircraft crashed to the ground during an aerobatic peformance – leaving two people severely injuried.
Onlookers at the Avalon Airshow in Victoria, Australia, were stunned to witness the plane plummet – scattering a plume of debris. It happened as the jet attempted a loop during a display by the Sky Aces Formation Aerobatic Team.
Silence fell over the crowd as at least two emergency service vehicles immediately drove over to the scene. Police confirmed that “the pilot and sole occupant of the aircraft sustained serious injuries.”
Spectator Andrew Pearce was left shocked by the freak accident. He recalled the dramatic moment when the plane hit the ground, reports ABC. Speaking about the acrobat, he said: “He didn’t just nosedive, like he kind of hit his belly.
“The cockpit was intact where he was but the wings were, like I don’t know if they were detached from the plane, but they were like crumpled in front of the plane. The other members of Paul Bennett team were flying around, they had to stay in the air because they weren’t sure if it was safe to land.”
Witness Geoff Crane explained that four planes were flying at the time, but said one seemed less high than the others. “I was sort of more watching the three, but the one that was by itself caught my eye,” he said. “It was tumbling along the ground … dirt was being thrown up and it stopped very, very suddenly.”
He said the audience sat around him gasped in shock and revealed that the pilots are related. “It was awful. They were telling us on the commentary that the team of four pilots are all family,” Mr Crane added.
A Victoria Police spokesperson said: “The pilot and sole occupant of the aircraft sustained serious injuries. The incident occurred a significant distance away from spectators and there have been no reports of further injuries.”
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) said it will be investigating the incident. Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell said: “The ATSB is deploying a team of transport safety investigators from its Canberra office, specialising in aircraft operations and maintenance.
“The ATSB asks anyone with video footage of the aircraft at any phase of the flight, or in the immediate aftermath of the accident, to make contact via the witness form on our website at their earliest opportunity.”
The show programme has been halted for the rest of the day.
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