GA Incidents:
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General Sources: https://fssalerts.wordpress.com/tag/light-plane-crash/
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6. Ulladulla:
Pilot David Black killed fighting NSW bushfires
Authorities have confirmed that the pilot of a plane which crashed while fighting bushfires west of Ulladulla has died.
He was trying to do the right thing, fighting the fires and for something like this to happen – it’s just tragic. Life just doesn’t seem fair sometimes
David Black, 43, a husband and father-of-three from Trangie in central NSW, was waterbombing when his plane crashed in rugged bushland on Thursday morning.

Shoalhaven local area commander Superintendent Joe Cassar said an ambulance officer had been winched into the remote area where the crash occurred and confirmed Mr Black was dead.
Emergency staff have been unable to recover his body as fires are still burning in the area, which is described as exceptionally rough terrain.
”As soon as conditions are in our favour, we will retrieve the pilot,” Superintendent Cassar said.

He said it was a tragic day for Mr Black’s family and the Rural Fire Service.
”Thoughts would have to go out to his family who have to deal with the grief of losing a husband and father,” he said.
Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons, who lost his own father in a bushfire, paid tribute to the pilot.

”It’s a tragedy for the fire fighting community but first and foremost it’s a tragedy for this man’s family,” he said.
”He’s a husband with young children and we’re all acutely aware that there’s a family suffering today because their dad didn’t come home.”
The pilot’s co-workers are continuing to fight the fire in the area 40 kilometres west of Ulladulla.

The Acting Chief of the Defence Force, Air Marshall Mark Binskin, said the tragedy illustrated the risky nature of fighting fires.
”As a pilot, I appreciate the dangers of operations like this and any accident like this really does hit home,” he said.
Narromine mayor Bill McAnally said the pilot was well known in the Trangie community, where he moved about three years ago with his young family.
Cr McAnally said the small community of 1,000 people would feel the loss immensely.
“He was trying to do the right thing, fighting the fires and for something like this to happen – it’s just tragic,” he said.
“Life just doesn’t seem fair sometimes. We really feel for his family and loved ones.” He described the pilot as a decent, hard-working family man with a big heart.
“It’s a great loss to our area because he was a real community man,” he said.
An officer from the Air Transport Safety Bureau has also been sent to the area to investigate the crash site once it is safe to do so.
It’s understood his wife, Julie, is on her way to the Shoalhaven area.
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5. Hamilton
One dead in Hamilton plane crash
A LIGHT aircraft crashed shortly after take-off from Hamilton airport tonight, killing a 20-year-old trainee pilot from New South Wales.
Emergency services rushed to the crash site in a paddock, about one-kilometre north of the main runway about 7.45pm .
It is understood his single-engine Cessna was destroyed in a fiery impact.
The young pilot was involved in night flying training with Sharp Aviation Flying School.
The area was cordoned off and air safety investigators are travelling to Hamilton from Canberra. They are expected to arrive tomorrow morning.
Local aviation enthusiasts were in shock.
Hamilton Aero Club president Kelvin Rogers said it was the first local air fatality in more than 25 years.
“Hamilton is a widely used commercial and private airport and has a high safety record,” Mr Rogers said.
Police media liaison spokeswoman Kate Millar said police were investigating and would prepare a report for the coroner.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau and Civil Aviation Safety Authority will also investigate.
A Country Fire Authority media spokeswoman said three units from Hamilton, two from Grange and two from Cavendish fire brigades attended.
She said the fire was quickly extinguished.
Hamilton SES, police and ambulance also attended
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4. Benalla
Bad light may have played role in fatal plane crash in north-eastern Victoria
Updated
Police believe light may have been a factor in an early evening plane crash that killed a man in north-eastern Victoria last night.
The 51-year-old pilot was killed when his Cirrus SR22 single engine plane clipped trees and crashed near a private air strip at Boxwood, north-east of Shepparton, around 6:30pm (AEST).
Three paramedic crews and the air ambulance responded, but the Boxwood man died at the scene.
Police believe he was flying back from Moorabbin Airport in Melbourne.
Acting Sergeant Jarrod Toomer says conditions were good, but visibility may have been a problem.
“Weather conditions were pretty good and there’s not a lot of wind,” he said.
“(If) he did come into the approach just after dark, that might have played some part in the accident.”
Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) spokesman Stuart Godley says investigators will head to the scene today.
“A team of four investigators will be gathering at our Canberra office and they’ll be heading off to the accident scene examining the aircraft and talking to any witnesses that may have heard the aircraft,” he said.
Topics: air-and-space, emergency-incidents, boxwood-3725, shepparton-3630
First posted
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3. Lismore:
Pilot dies in ultralight crash at Lismore Airport
- Northern Star – Lismore
- Marnie Johnston and Megan Kinninment
- 24th Mar 2013 9:56 AM
- Updated: 3:08 PM

UPDATE: 11.25am:
Relieving Duty Officer Acting Inspector Virginia Szaak of Richmond local area command has confirmed that one man has died in the crash.
“About nine o’clock, an Ultralight on its maiden voyage has taken off from Lismore airport. It’s gotten about 100m into the air and it’s collided with the ground, killing the pilot instantly,” Acting Insp Szaak said.
She said at this point they could confirm that the person on board the Ultralight RV12 was a local Lismore man who was an experienced pilot associated with the Northern Rivers Aero Club.
Acting Insp Szaak said that they were currently trying to establish a next of kin and that investigations were continuing.
9.45am, Sunday March 24:
Police have confirmed that this morning, shortly before 9am, a light plane has crashed at Lismore Airport.
Emergency Services are on the scene extinguishing flames.
No details on occupants as yet.
The plane is believed to be a private charter.
Updates to follow.
Pilot/instructor killed in Lismore ultralight crash
- Marnie Johnston
- 25th Mar 2013 6:00 AM

THE LOCAL aviation community is in shock after a well-known local pilot/ instructor died in a light plane crash at Lismore Airport yesterday morning.
About 9am the ultralight plane on its maiden flight carrying only its pilot, Lismore man, Wayne Fisher, had begun to take off from Lismore airport, before something went wrong and the plane hit the ground.
Relieving Duty Officer Acting Inspector Virginia Szaak of Richmond Local Area Command spoke soon after the crash.
“(The plane has) gotten about 100m into the air… it’s collided with the ground, killing the pilot instantly,” Acting Insp Szaak said.
At that point she said that the person on board the Ultralight RV12 was a local Lismore man who was an experienced pilot associated with the Northern Rivers Aero Club.

The pilot was later in the day confirmed to be Wayne Fisher, 62, a pilot and instructor with over 30 years experience in aviation.
Late yesterday, Inspector Matt Kehoe of Richmond Local Area Command said that Mr Fisher’s next of kin had been advised, however positive identification of Mr Fisher would not be given until dental records were examined.
Mr Fisher was the owner and operator of Lismore-based Spectrum Aviation, and had worked on the construction of over 230 ultralight aircraft, according to the business’s website.
A friend and fellow pilot, who did not want to be named, said he was very shocked to hear about Mr Fisher’s death.
“He’s a very experienced flyer and a very respected flying instructor,” the friend said.
“The entire aviation community is in deep shock over this.”
The friend said Mr Fisher had been flying “since he was a boy” and that he was a regular performer at aviation meets, most notably at the Great Eastern Fly In at Evans Head each year.
“He was a real gentleman – very quiet, reserved, very safety-conscious,” the friend said.
“He will be very sadly missed.”
Insp Kehoe said on-scene investigations into the incident, conducted with Recreational Aviation Australia, concluded yesterday afternoon.
The airport was closed up until the late afternoon, causing disruption to Rex services, Insp Kehoe said.
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2. Roma C-210 [C210]
ATSB: http://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/2013/aair/ao-2013-057.aspx
Two killed in plane crash near Roma
Air safety investigators are trying to find the cause of a light plane crash that killed two men in southern inland Queensland.
The Cessena 210 crashed shortly after take-off near Roma on Monday morning.
Paul White, from Ray White Rural, has honoured John Quintana and Charlie Maher, saying both men played a significant role in the beef sector.
“There are shock waves going round the industry,” Paul White says.
“Charlie Maher is an Australian based livestock expert…John Quintana is a very successful cattle industry figure, with many cattle properties throughout Northern Australia through his career and very highly regarded.”
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) says the Cessna 210 crashed shortly after take-off about 5:30am Monday (AEST).
ATSB spokesman Ian Sangston says the investigation is in its early stages.
“We do know that the aircraft was taking off from Roma and shortly after take-off impacted the ground,” he says.
“Unfortunately two people were on board and both have been fatally injured.
“Our thoughts go out to the loved ones obviously at the moment.”
Ian Sangston has urged any witnesses to the crash to call authorities on 1800 020 616.
1. SMH – 29th March 2013
Two walk away from Bankstown light-plane crash
September 26, 2011

The two men who survived a light plane crash just after takeoff in Sydney’s west may have been on a training flight, a Bankstown Airport spokeswoman says.
The single-engine Cessna 152 crashed in an open area just outside the airport’s perimeter about 9am.
“They went nose first [into the ground] and then flipped over,” the spokeswoman told AAP.
“We think it was a possible training class.”
It is believed the plane sent a mayday call to the airport before going down.
“We knew about it and activated our emergency response plan,” the spokeswoman said. “They would have radioed ahead, there would have been a distress call.”
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