Merged: Plane Crash - Flinders Island
 

Appears there has been a crash into Killiecrankie(?) Mt on Flinders Island.:bored: Reportedly a "six-seater".

Details sketchy at the moment. Search in progress according to AusSar and the local policeman, involving a couple of aircraft.

NB Unconfirmed reports as 6 POB

Reports are that it is a "low wing aircraft"

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."

ABC radio reports no survivors found, aircraft type not known due to extent of damage.

Update: unconfirmed 1 dead

Gday Just picked this up from AAP very sad.
ONE person has been confirmed dead after a light plane crashed into a mountainside at Flinders Island, off Tasmania's northeast coast, early today.
Air ambulance crews are flying to Flinders Island in Bass Strait.
The single-engined, low-winged plane crashed into the Killiecrankie mountain shortly after taking off from the Killiecrankie airport on Flinders Island, off Tasmania's north-east tip.
The incident happened shortly before 7.15am (AEST) today.
SKY News reported that one person died in the crash, but it is unclear how many people were on board.
"We have an eyewitness who saw the plane crash and also we have got a police officer on the island who has confirmed the crash site," said Australian Search and Rescue (AusSAR) spokeswoman Tracey Jiggins.
Two helicopters – an air ambulance from the Latrobe Valley in Victoria and a police helicopter from Hobart – are heading to the scene along with a fixed-wing air ambulance from Launceston," Ms Jiggins said.
"It is very inhospitable land and it will probably be the case that we will have to winch someone to the crash site and that will take at least two hours at this stage."
Killiecrankie is on the island's north-west coast.
With AAP

:{
Appears that the news is not good, pilot was a good friend of mine.
A very experienced pilot who has flown from there for many years.
A sad day for many in the aviation industry.

BSB :(

.. :( ... condolences to those affected :sad:

Channel 7 are currently running with Suicide saying that a note was found.

If it was and there was a note, what a selfish waste of peoples time and endangering the lives of others to recover the mess. It's like when I once heard about a skydiver who decided to end things at the local skydiving club to the dismay of many spectators and young children. I'd like to know what drives a person to go to those lengths; it's just so unfair.

Okay folks, let's just tread carefully here, and stay on track.:=

Not assuming what happened as there could be many causes and the news reports say the pilot has been living on the Island for a while.
I do know that it's not a huge course deviation taking off to the west at Killicrankie to Mt Killicrankie. Lots of roll over in the lee with a westerly blowing. It is not the place to try and climb to 500' before turning.

Word is it was a SMS text message to a mate.

Very sad that it comes to this - for all concerned.


Di :(

Scrambler...

From my recollection, isn't Mt Killiecrankie a fair way off track if you are taking off to the west. Infact it's about two nm north of the western threshold if you taking off to the west.

There are hills off the western end of the strip, but I didn't think that was Mt Killiecrankie... :confused:

Compressor Stall,
As I pull out my trusted Flinders Is 1:100,000 map I stand corrected, about 2NM due north of the strip, way off track.

Seven News, now saying that the posible cause was windy conditions. No refs as quoted above!
I would suggest a link if those above wanted to confirm there rumours

TV news tonight said it was a Beech Baron but then we know how reliable that source is :hmm:

It was a V tail Bonanza.

Blue Sky Baron - condolences, it's a horrible way to lose a mate. :(

RIP Peter.
http://www.lilydaleairport.com.au/Ga...nanzaowner.htm

Thanks teebee
 

Thanks for your thoughts.

Such a damn shame all around, Peter had so much to live for and was always ready to help anyone in need. He was a held in the highest regard by all that knew and loved him for the character that he was. :D
He will be very sadly missed by all his friends. :{

BSB

If it was and there was a note, what a selfish waste of peoples time and endangering the lives of others to recover the mess. It's like when I once heard about a skydiver who decided to end things at the local skydiving club to the dismay of many spectators and young children. I'd like to know what drives a person to go to those lengths; it's just so unfair.
QNH 1013.2, regardless of whether this is the case YOUR comments are unfair. You are welcome to your opinions, and maybe this is not the place to discuss suicide in general, but you are showing a general ignorance of the problem. If only it was as simple as the picture you paint. Sure there may be "better" ways of doing it, but as one who you are talking about (I'm one of the ones who gets "to recover the mess" in my job) I can only say there is an overwhelming sense of sadness doing it, and that if the person felt they had the option to live they would take it. The brickwall people in that situation face is just too large, too much to beat. They are taking the only option they feel is possible. So while we sit in our ivory towers lets just hope we never find ourselves in their situation, which is not just a bad case of the blues.
Sorry for going off track here, but those comments could not go unanswered.

From News.com:

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,20479122-2,00.html

AN experienced pilot who died in a crash on Flinders Island may have deliberately slammed his light plane into a mountainside, police said today.
Acting Inspector Mark Wright today said police were following several leads, including that the crash was not an accident.
“We're investigating the circumstances leading up to the crash, including the possibility that it wasn't an accident, that it was a deliberate act,” Insp Wright said.
Peter Waterhouse, 57, was killed just after 6am (AEST) yesterday when his Beech 35 Bonanza slammed into a mountain on the Bass Strait island, off Tasmania's northeast coast, shortly after take-off.
Witness John Robertson said Mr Waterhouse's plane had been gaining altitude before it suddenly ploughed into Mt Killiecrankie.
“He was climbing all right, then the next thing the plane turned sideways and went bang, straight into the side of the mountain,” he said.
“Then there was a big puff of smoke and a big ball of flame.”
Mr Waterhouse reportedly left a note, which was found after he crashed.
Insp Wright would not comment on the note today, saying police were still interviewing witnesses.
He confirmed the Air Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) would not be investigating the crash.
“There's no safety issues identified that require their further investigation,” he said.
Mr Waterhouse's body was transported this morning to Hobart for formal identification and a post-mortem examination, Insp Wright said.
Tasmania Police would present the results of their investigations to Coroner Peter Wilson, who would hand down his findings at a later date.


Very sad.

Condolences to all family and friends.

Di :uhoh:

Very sad, condolences to all.

Tid edit.