Light plane smashes into mountain - Monday
Apparently it was a V35 Bonanza...
Light plane smashes into mountain
September 25, 2006 - 8:11AM
A light aircraft has crashed into rugged terrain on Flinders Island shortly after taking off from Killiecrankie airstrip.
Tracey Jiggins, from AusSAR, the national search and rescue organisation, co-ordiating rescue effort, said there are few details available as yet.
"What we do know is that we got a call at about 7.15 this morning saying that a single engine, low-wing aircraft had left the airstrip at Killiecrankie on Flinders Island, and had gone down directly into a mountain, Mount Killiecrankie."
She said two helicopters had been dispatched - one from the Latrobe Valley in Victoria and one from Hobart - as well as a fixed-wing air ambulance.
"We believe there is one police officer on the island as well, who confirmed the crash. The plane has gone down in a very inaccessible area."
Flinders Island Volunteer Ambulance member Chris Bowman said the plane had struck the 319-metre high Mt Killiecrankie near the top.
The mountain was a granite peak with some light scrub, he said.
A helicopter had landed at a clearing on the mountain, but the terrain around the crash site was rugged and somewhat inaccessible, Mr Bowman said.
"It's overcast and windy. The area is pretty inaccessible and it might be too windy, too difficult to get the helicopters in there," he said.
"The wind might be too bad to winch anyone in, I think."
Last edited by FL_RoofTop; 25th Sep 2006 at 01:39.
Reason: Fixed error