Tragedy struck in Sydney’s southwest as three people lost their lives in a midair collision between two light planes. First responders on the scene deemed the incident as “unsurvivable.”
The collision occurred around 11:50 a.m. on Oct. 26 near Belimbla Park close to Oakdale. Emergency crews rushed to the crash site where they found one aircraft, a Cessna 182, engulfed in flames upon impact with the ground. The plane was en route from Cessnock to Wollongong carrying two unidentified passengers.
Shortly after, responders discovered a second aircraft, a Jabiru, with one male occupant who was pronounced dead at the scene, located one kilometer north of the initial crash site. Acting Superintendent Timothy Calman of NSW Police confirmed suspicions of a midair collision during a press conference on the day of the incident.
The crash sites have been cordoned off with two crime scenes established, as ambulance and fire crews continue their operations. The planes were flying in uncontrolled airspace at the time of the tragic accident, with the Jabiru believed to have departed from Oaks Airfield nearby.
NSW Ambulance Inspector Joseph Ibrahim described the scene as “confronting,” with the injuries sustained being fatal. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau will be conducting a thorough investigation at the crash sites, urging any witnesses or individuals with relevant footage to come forward.
Meanwhile, in Queensland, a seaplane crash off the coast of Hamilton Island resulted in minor injuries for two out of the five occupants. The survivors were rescued by a tour boat operator and assessed by paramedics upon reaching shore.
