Turboprop Metroliner crash on take off from Sydney
SMH
April 10, 2008 - 9:08AM
Searchers have found debris floating in the ocean south-east of Sydney after a freight plane went missing overnight.
About 6am, members of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority search and rescue team found boxes, bags and fibreglass debris believed to be from the aircraft, which was on a mail run from Sydney to Brisbane.
"As yet we are still holding out hope [for the male pilot], but given the debris found it could be the crash site," an AMSA spokeswoman said.
"Water police officers report that they could smell aviation fuel in the area," a spokeswoman told AAP.
"We haven't recovered a body, and a range of private, police and military aircraft continue to search."
Fears were held for the safety of the pilot, who was the only person on the plane when it disappeared.
A fisherman, Andrew Holmes, told Sky News he saw the plane burst into flames and then fall towards the ground.
"It came moving back down at about a 45 degree angle and came back towards the ground, then levelled out and disappeared over the horizon," he said.
The search, which will use sonar equipment, was focused on an area of 80 square miles, about nine kilometres south-east of Bundeena in the Royal National Park.
Four helicopters had joined the search since daylight resumed, the AMSA spokeswoman said.
An air, land and sea exclusion zone is in place between Cronulla and Stanwell Park, five nautical miles (9.25km) out to sea and about 3km inland from the coast.
The plane took off from Sydney Airport about 11.30pm last night. The male pilot, the Metroliner's only occupant, reported problems 10 nautical miles (18.5km) after take-off.
"Shortly after that the aircraft disappeared off the radar at about 4,000 feet (1,219 metres)," a Civil Aviation Safety Authority spokesman said.
"We don't know what the problem was the pilot was alluding to, he didn't give any details in his broadcast, but obviously that is something we will look into as part of our investigations.''
The twin turboprop aircraft was being used to transport freight.
- with AAP