Jump to content

Strikemaster jet down in NSW


Guest Vigilant

Recommended Posts

Guest Vigilant

Crashed jet may have broken up in flight

 

By Katherine Danks and Vincent Morello

 

October 05, 2006 07:43pm

 

Article from: AAP

 

AN ex-military jet that crashed in central New South Wales today killing two men on a joyflight may have broken up in midair.

 

The pair were flying from Bathurst in a Strikemaster aerobatics aircraft which went down in the Winburndale Nature Reserve in the Turon State Forest today.

 

The exact time of the crash is unclear but Canberra-based Australian Search and Rescue (AusSAR) requested NRMA CareFlight send a helicopter to look for the missing aircraft about 3pm (AEST).

 

Former miliary jets are usually equipped with ejector seats, but it's not clear whether this aircraft had them.

 

NRMA CareFlight senior pilot Ken Vote, who first spotted the wreckage, said the tail of the aircraft was some distance from its fuselage.

 

"I would suspect that it's suffered some sort of in-flight break-up," he said.

 

"It's hard to imagine that this piece has hit the ground with the rest of it and bounced a half a mile through the trees.

 

"It was certainly confirmed in my mind, even when I first arrived, that there would be no survivors."

 

He said the crash ignited a bushfire that spread over four ha.

 

"The search in fact was quite easy because about 15 miles (24km) out I saw an isolated bushfire and suspected that this may have been started by an aircraft accident," Mr Vote said.

 

Two fire fighting aircraft arrived on the scene in response to reports of a bushfire, but were unaware what had caused it, Mr Vote said.

 

An NRMA CareFlight paramedic winched down to the main crash site about 5pm (AEST) confirmed that both men were dead.

 

NSW Police say it will take some time to reach the site by land because of the remote, difficult terrain.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Tragic accident, Nick Costin was a great pilot of what I have heard around the traps, doing many hours of Joyflights and at airshows etc.

 

Rest In Peace

 

Regards

 

Sam bateo

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...