Tragic Light Aircraft Incident Claims Life in Northern Australia
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Canberra, Jan 13 (NationPress) A tragic accident has occurred in Australia’s Northern Territory (NT) where a man has lost his life and a woman has been hospitalized following the crash of a light aircraft.
The deceased was a 63-year-old man while the injured woman, who is 29 years old, was the only other person aboard the aircraft during the incident, which took place in a recreational area approximately 50 km southeast of Darwin on Sunday, as reported by local authorities.
According to a statement from NT Police, Fire and Emergency Services, the incident was logged at around 10:20 am local time.
Emergency responders were dispatched to the crash site, where they discovered the 63-year-old pilot deceased within the wreckage.
The woman was extricated without any visible injuries by a helicopter rescue team and subsequently transported to a hospital for further evaluation.
Reports from News Corp Australia indicated that the aircraft involved was a microlight plane, with witnesses noting that it was flying at a low altitude just before the crash.
One witness described how the plane descended into a body of water within the Fogg Dam, an area known for its crocodile and water python populations, according to the Xinhua news agency.
In the aftermath of the crash, NT Police have set up a crime scene and initiated an investigation.
Last week, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) disclosed that there were 27 fatalities from light aircraft crashes in 20 “unnecessary accidents” in the previous year, following two years with a higher toll of 33 deaths.
Despite a decline in overall fatalities, the recent series of deadly accidents in 2024 has raised alarms regarding the future of the hobby aircraft sector, prompting aviation specialists to advocate for more comprehensive investigations into recreational aircraft mishaps, as reported by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).
Aviation consultant and training officer Lorraine MacGillivray expressed her desire for more thorough air crash investigations and reduced bureaucratic hurdles for pilot training, especially after five fatalities occurred in a series of crashes in Victoria between September and November of last year, according to the ABC.
However, the ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell noted that larger passenger airlines are prioritized during investigations, highlighting that the risk of fatalities is heightened around Australia’s 2,300 non-towered aerodromes, urging pilots to maintain vigilance to enhance safety.
The ATSB reported that it is capable of investigating approximately 70 aviation, maritime, and rail incidents each year, despite being alerted to over 8,000 incidents annually.
