Plane down near Jandakot School

[Maxweight]

Just heard on the radio that a plane with 2 pob is on fire after landing on an oval at Lakelands High School, hope all are okay!

[Maxweight]

A LIGHT plane has crashed and burst into flames on an oval in South Lake, south of Perth. PerthNow believes two people have been injured but have escaped from the crash.
Police have received reports the plane is on fire.
St John Ambulance and fire fighters are on their way to the scene.
The plane crashed on an oval near the South Lake Shopping Centre.
It was originally thought that it had come down at Lakelands High School but school officials have since advised the crash scene was not at the school.
More to come...

[Ex FSO GRIFFO]

Perth Radio 6PR 'News Break' of a light aircraft crash on a South Lake high school oval near YPJT this afternoon.

Witnesses saying on radio that aircraft hit a goal post on approach for a forced landing, hit the ground, burst into flames, two people got out, but with burns and unknown other injuries at this stage.

The aircraft is reported to be fully burnt out...aircraft type not known as yet.

RAC Rescue Chopper on site to transport injured to hospital.

That's it for now....all will be on Ch 7 tonight no doubt, as CH 7 chopper was in area also.

Plane crashes near southern suburbs high school (http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/plane-crashes-near-southern-suburbs-high-school-20131209-2z1mi.html)

Hope it not real bad for those on board.....

[dreamer84]

Saw the scene, looks like passenger(s) 100m or so away from the wreckage being treated, aircraft destroyed (not near enough for details but burnt out and covered in foam - impossible to tell what sort of nick it was in post impact.) The rescue chopper landed 1515WST, ambos already there.

Would've happened right at school pick-up; a high school located 100m or so from the crash site.

[onetrack]

There was never any major danger to the school, the pilot has done a remarkable job of crash landing on a nearby Council-owned sportsground - not the high school oval - as well as missing HT powerlines, after an apparent engine failure.
However, half an hour later, it might have been a totally different story, there would have been schoolkids everywhere.

Plane crashes near high school - The West Australian (http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/breaking/20233506/plane-crashes-near-high-school/)

Light plane crashes on School Oval| Perth Now (http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/western-australia/two-injured-in-light-plane-crash-on-an-oval-near-jandakot/story-fnhocxo3-1226779139019)

Plane crashes near southern suburbs high school - WA Today (http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/plane-crashes-near-southern-suburbs-high-school-20131209-2z1mi.html)

[Airey Belvoir]

Plane crashes near high school - The West Australian (http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/newshome/20233506/plane-crashes-near-high-school/)

At least one on board has suffered burns.

[scottiem99]

Does anyone know what type of plane it was?

[Engineer_aus]

VH-USW is the aircraft, both people walked from the crash.

[onetrack]

I wouldn't exactly say they "walked" from the crash. They both managed to pull themselves out of a burning fireball after a major impact. Both are suffering serious injuries, and one is badly burned.
The RAC rescue chopper took the badly burnt bloke directly to hospital, the other bloke went in an ambulance.

If you spin the Google street view around 180° from the front of this house, you have an excellent view of his emergency LZ ...

https://maps.google.com.au/maps?q=85+South+Lake+Drive,+South+Lake,+Western+Australia&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x2a329818821d1cc7:0xc58acf4dc2ca2e9b,85+S+Lake+Dr,+So uth+Lake+WA+6164&gl=au&ei=jp6lUs2ZHpCyiQfPkIHwDg&ved=0CCsQ8gEwAA

[redelect]

1 has 75% burns wish the best ,wife and kids

[swh]

1 has 75% burns wish the best ,wife and kids

I sure hope that is not 75% 3rd degree. Likewise I wish them both a full recovery and support for their families.

I suspect the goal post is responsible for the fire.

[Ex FSO GRIFFO]

It seems that the pilot did 'extremely' well, considering the circumstances.

Apparently, from the WA Police interim report, (With some speculation) the aircraft departed JT, probably Rwy 24R, had an EFATO, turned, set up for whatever was available to him, the sports ground being about the only option, managed to miss the 'High Tension' Powerlines which criss-cross the area, was by then on a 'downwind' approach, so the G/S is fairly high, clipped some local power lines on the way in, then the goal post, then the ground.

There is a scorch mark at the initial ground impact point, indicating that the fire had already started, and this was stated by a witness.

The 'carbon fibre' aircraft skidded for some distance, and burned 'to the ground'.

Occupants 'ran out - clothes on fire' - and were assisted to a nearby 'under the trees' area.

As has been said, the area is quite small and with the SW tailwind (?) at about that time, his choices were very limited.

JT W/V at 0230pm - SSE 9 gusting to 15 kts
at 0300pm - SW 14 " " 20 kts

Well done to have done what he did.

Later news reporting two in hospital with burns, condition described as 'critical'.

Hope they both recover OK.

[Radix]

............

[ReverseFlight]

From the media video, looks like a light twin, despite press reports of a single.

[T28D]

Glassair III and pilot/pax not in good shape sad Tony did a good job and got buggered up by a goal post.

[Ex FSO GRIFFO]

ATSB to investigate....

Air crash investigators probe plane crash on South Lakes school oval (http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/air-crash-investigators-probe-plane-crash-on-south-lakes-school-oval-20131210-2z2pe.html)

[onetrack]

Both the pilot, Tony White, and his passenger, Ralph Lerch are in critical condition, with extensive burns and impact injuries.
One eyewitness reported the aircraft was on fire directly after impacting the goalposts, and both men were ejected from the aircraft on impact - which probably saved them from certain immediate death.
The next few days will be crucial for both these blokes, particularly the pilot. It's generally well-known that if the addition of your age and your % of burns level exceeds 100, your chances of surviving are not very high.

Two guys came flying out - The West Australian (http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/wa/20237199/two-guys-came-flying-out/)

Two fight for lives after plane crash - The West Australian (http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/breaking/20237171/two-fight-for-lives-after-plane-crash/)

[Ex FSO GRIFFO]

Any news on the progress / condition of Mr White and Mr Lerch?

[onetrack]

Griffo - Hospitals will not release info on patients condition unless you can prove you're a very close relative.
These blokes will be in "critical" condition for quite a few days to come. With bad burns and impact injuries there comes a period of several days afterwards, where a patients life hangs in the balance - and even the best of medical attention can only do so much.
They're lucky in that Dr Fiona Woods is the worlds top burns specialist, and no doubt she will be advising, or even attending to these blokes.
I wish them all the best for their recovery, which won't be a short or easy period.
I'm getting some real bad vibes about small composite aircraft right about now. Yes, metal ones burn, too - but these composite ones are turning out to be real Ronsons.

[VH-XXX]

It's all about the fuel and fuel load.

This C172 had a full fuel load (15 mins earlier) and hit a powerline; it burnt out the tanks and fuselage as you can see, but agreed if it was composite it likely would have burnt out completely, but either way you don't stand a chance in the cockpit.

http://images.theage.com.au/2008/12/25/333289/2412_planecrash_420x300-200x0.jpg