Tourist couple killed in plane crash
TWO tourists were killed today when a light plane crashed in a ball of flame at an exclusive wilderness resort in far north Western Australia.
The twin-engine Cessna 421 had just taken off from the El Questro resort about 12.10pm (WST) today when witnesses spotted problems with the left engine and the aircraft attempted to return to the runway.
The plane caught fire when it crashed, killing the two people aboard, WA Police said.
A spokesman for the resort in WA's rugged Kimberley region said the man and woman on board, who were aged in their 50s and believed to be from the UK, were the owners of the plane that crashed.
Four investigators from the Air Transport Safety Bureau will lead the probe into the crash. They left Canberra today and are expected to begin their inquiries tomorrow.
Peter Hook of resort operators Accor said the names of the dead couple would not be released today, as relatives in Europe had not yet been informed of the tragedy, and the bodies had yet to be formally identified.
"The owners and managers of the resort said it was a tragic accident and extended their sympathies to the relatives of the deceased," Mr Hook said.
"We believe they had taken off, and were attempting to come back to the ground when they crashed. It does look like there were engine problems that caused them to try and return.
"The two people believed to have died are foreign tourists to Australia who flew in from Europe. Unfortunately, obviously, we can't mention names until they've been identified and their relatives notified."
An ATSB spokesman said the plane was registered in Switzerland, and European air safety officials – as well as representatives of the manufacturers – could become involved in the crash inquiry.
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