Skydivers walk from aircraft crash

LUCKY: Air crash survivors, including Rod, Chris and Jake Riley, return to Gladstone Airport.

KERRI-ANNE MESNER Glacras-

Photos

Plane crash at Golding Point

View Photo Gallery »

SEVEN male passengers on board an Adrenaline Skydiving light aircraft took a skydive of a different kind yesterday when their Cessna 206 went down at Golding Point (Wiggins Island) in Gladstone.

A mayday call was made three minutes and three-and-a-half kilometres after leaving the Gladstone Airport at 10.40am.

Australian Helicopters answered the mayday call with their Gladstone-based AS350 “Squirrel” aircraft.

Passengers sustained only minor injuries and were taken to Gladstone Hospital.

Acting Inspector Mike Dixon said that the aircraft had made a forced landing into a tree surrounded by mangroves and marsh at Golding Point.

“There was significant damage to the aircraft,” Acting Inspector Dixon said.

“The passengers were airlifted to Gladstone Airport by helicopter but there were no serious injuries.”

Six passengers were taken to the Gladstone Hospital, while one declined to go.

An ambulance spokesperson said the pilot received facial injuries around his nose while the passenger in the next seat sustained lumbar pain.

The other five passengers had no injuries.

As at 5pm yesterday, Queensland Health reported all the passengers were doing well, five had gone home while one would remain overnight.

The crash site was closed off shortly after the crash and no access was allowed.

An Australian Transport Safety Bureau spokesman said it would conduct an office-based investigation into the accident. When contacted by The Observer yesterday a representative from Adrenaline Skydiving would not comment.

Read more ...

Plane crashes near Gladstone