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Fatal SE Qld skydiving crash investigated
An investigation is under way into a plane crash in south-east Queensland, in which five people died.
The plane took off from the Brisbane Skydiving Centre near Ipswich, west of Brisbane, just before 11:00am AEST.
Three skydiving students, three instructors and the pilot were on board the Cessna 206.
Witnesses have told police the plane had difficulty gaining height, clipped a gum tree and crashed into a small catchment dam on private property.
Police have confirmed five are dead; five bodies have been recovered from the dam.
A man and a woman survived and were taken to hospital.
Investigation
Peter Gibson from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority says experts were at the site this afternoon to conduct initial investigations.
"They'll be beginning the task of piecing together exactly what went wrong," he said.
"They'll be talking to eyewitnesses, forensically going through the doomed flight so that we can get a very good understanding of why this accident happened and importantly try and prevent the same kind of tragedy in the future."
The two survivors have serious injuries and have been taken to hospitals in Brisbane and Ipswich.
Police Inspector Noel Powers says the plane experienced engine trouble just after take-off.
"There appeared to be a puff of black smoke come out from the engine just after take-off," he said.
"The aircraft was then seen to develop trouble trying to gain some height.
"It has clipped a tree and unfortunately it's gone into the dam."
Safety
Graeme Windsor, from the Australian Parachute Federation (APF), says there is no reason to believe the skydiving centre was in any way deficient.
The APF's safety officers are looking into the crash from a parachuting perspective.
He says he would have known some of those involved.
"I always hate to lose members of our fraternity sky diving, but when they're killed in a plane accident that's really terribly sad," he said.
"And the Parachute Federation exists to administer a sport in the safest possible way it can and we do our best to do that.
"But we always recognise that there are tragic consequences when things do go wrong."
Family and friends wanting information about victims of the plane crash can call 1800 100 188.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems...1/s1540771.htm
This is so tragic. Condolences to those involved.