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🇮🇩 Indonesia /Energy & Infrastructure

Two Dead, 10 Injured in Australia Parafield Airport Plane Crash

From Tempo · (5m ago) Indonesian Critical tone

Translated from Indonesian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • A flight instructor and a student pilot died when their twin-engine aircraft crashed after take-off at Parafield Airport, Australia.
  • Ten people on the ground were injured, one critically, when the plane hit a hangar and sparked a fire.
  • Investigators are examining the cause of the crash, which involved the aircraft veering sharply left shortly after takeoff.

A tragic accident at Parafield Airport has claimed the lives of two individuals and left ten others injured, highlighting the inherent risks associated with aviation training. The incident, which occurred on Wednesday afternoon, saw a twin-engine Diamond DA-42 aircraft veer sharply after take-off, impacting a hangar and igniting a catastrophic fire.

Very soon after take-off, it has pulled very sharply to the left, and it’s continued all the way around about 180 degrees, not very high off the ground, not in the air for very long, and it’s impacted the building.

— Angus MitchellATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell describes the harrowing sequence of events witnessed by bystanders.

According to reports from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), the deceased have been identified as a 24-year-old flight instructor and a 29-year-old student pilot. Witnesses described a harrowing scene as the aircraft, airborne for only a short period at a low altitude, executed a sudden 180-degree turn before crashing into Hangar 54. The subsequent fire caused extensive damage not only to the aircraft but also to other planes housed within the hangar.

The ten individuals on the ground sustained injuries ranging from minor burns to severe blistering and smoke inhalation. One man remains in critical condition at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, underscoring the devastating impact of the crash beyond the cockpit. Emergency services, including nearly 60 firefighters, responded swiftly to control the blaze, which was extinguished within 20 minutes despite challenges posed by the damaged hangar's sprinkler system.

The extent of damage was very extensive. And that post-impact fire will have done a lot of damage to the aircraft itself as well and to anything that’s on board.

— Angus MitchellATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell explains the challenges the investigation faces due to the intense fire following the crash.

As investigators from the ATSB and South Australia Police begin their work, the focus will be on understanding the sequence of events that led to the aircraft's sharp leftward deviation. The intensity of the fire, fueled by the aircraft's carbon-fiber construction, has complicated the investigation, but authorities are reviewing all available evidence, including dashcam footage and eyewitness accounts. This incident serves as a somber reminder of the critical importance of safety protocols and thorough investigations in the aviation sector.

quite tragic

— Dr. Dan TranDr. Dan Tran, one of the first responders, describes the severity of the injuries sustained by the victims on the ground.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Tempo in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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