Light plane crash in Canley Vale

[Peter Agatsiotis]

On the news today, a light plane has crashed into a power pole in Canley Vale (not far from Bankstown airport) with unconfirmed reports of 2 fatalities.

[Nigel C]

Just been updated, 2 confirmed dead, although it's unclear if they were on the ground or in the plane. There is a car also on fire, and aerial footage makes it nigh on impossible to tell what type of aircraft.

There is a field across the road from where it crashed, so perhaps they had an engine failure and were trying to put it down there? Only time will tell.

[Greg Hyde]

Crash occurred on Carnley Vale Rd.

Two confirmed dead. Unable to confirm whether those losr were on the a/c or ground.

A/c was a Piper Chieftan.

Greg

[Trevor Sinclair]

SMH website now has a pic of the location, Canley Vale Primary School has been evacuated due to the fuel spill. http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/two-dead-in-sydney-plane-crash-20100615-yasn.html

[Bruce Bramwell]

Only one person has lost the life

[Greg Hyde]

Latest from ABC

Eyewitness reports aircraft was suffering engine problems before crash.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/06/15/2926951.htm

[Robert Zweck]

http://www.news.com.au/national/light-plane-crashes-near-canley-vale-primary-school-in-canley-vale-road-report/story-e6frfkvr-1225879744477

[Greg Hyde]

From another forum.

According to ATSB -

Quote:
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) was advised of an aircraft accident involving a Piper Aircraft Mojave aircraft, registered VH-PGW, this morning. The aircraft had two pilots on board and had recently departed from Bankstown Aerodrome, New South Wales. The pilot reported to air traffic control that the aircraft had sustained an engine failure and would be returning to Bankstown. Shortly after the aircraft impacted terrain in the vicinity of Canley Vale Road and Sackville Roads, Canley Vale Heights.

Aircraft operated by Airtex.

[Robert Zweck]

If Hoxton Park was still open, I wonder if that could have been one of his options?

Next thing we hear will be the closure of Camden.

[Matt Coughran]

What a tragic event. My condolences to the family/families involved in this. By the looks of all reports the Pilot did his best to land the aircraft safely.

But also reading on one of the new reports some people really don't know anything about aircraft....

Ms Weir said that she walked to the crash area to find out what was happening and smelt petrol fumes.

"We were saying earlier that planes fly very low over this area," she said. "The Bankstown Airport is not far away and we always thought this was an accident waiting to happen."

An Accident waiting to happen? Since when did a plane flying low to land/take off at an airport posed such a massive risk that she knew it was going to happen?

[Nigel C]

If Hoxton Park was still open, I wonder if that could have been one of his options?

Next thing we hear will be the closure of Camden.

There have been unconfirmed reports that the aircraft was heard over the Wilberforce area with engine difficulties, and that an offer was made to utilise Richmond but the pilots apparently elected to return to Bankstown. But as I said, this is an unconfirmed report.

[Andrew P]

Matt

don't take her words literally, she is using them as an idiom

[Bruce Bramwell]

An Accident waiting to happen? Since when did a plane flying low to land/take off at an airport posed such a massive risk that she knew it was going to happen?

Why did you build a home right next door to a airport :confused::confused:

[Jason H]

I was listening to the tower at the time, and they had stopped departures for the aircraft to return to BK. He had been cleared to land on 11 (straight in) and everything seemed normal, until he reported he couldn't maintain altitude.

It surely was chilling to hear him frantically look for a landing site. Tower advised him of the M7 as a possible landing spot too.

I'm interested to know how a multi engine aircraft could not maintain altitude

[Robert Zweck]

Is the former Schofields area still around or is that covered with houses?

[Nigel C]

It's there, but not in any real state for use as far as I know. It's part of the University of Western Sydney Hawkesbury campus these days.

[Maikha Ly]

Hi all

I was present at YSBK doing a preflight this morning as this was unfolding. I must say it was quite a chilling and sombering moment, one which I'll never forget.

Basically, while waiting for the fuel truck to head over, they notified us of an emergency occuring, and immediately we put the ATC radio on to hear this unfolding. We were quite confident with the pilot's calm and relaxed demeanour that he'd get the aircraft on the ground, and someone would have to come pick them up.

There was a silence of about 2 minutes after his last call (Assuming after the impact) and then in the cold calm of the airport, we could hear essentially every emergency siren in the area echo around the airport assumedly heading to the site, followed by the NPWS helicopter ('Park 2') depart and essentially 'head towards the smoke'. It was very chilling, and I had a drop or two of cold sweat.

I'll never forget either the following ATIS message, of Information Charlie present, aerodrome is closed.


Very sombering and I'm sure affected many of us present at the airport today. As soon as Delta and Echo became current, we did what anyone else would do.... have a minute's silence and then get back in the air and keep flying.

So I'll be raising a glass to you two tonight, to the pilot, you tried and you kept calm, and I'll most definitely learn from that :(

[Chris B.]

I'm interested to know how a multi engine aircraft could not maintain altitude

There are many reasons a multi engined aircraft cannot maintain altitude. But for obvious reasons I will not post up incase the media are lurking about and we don't even know what has happened here. So rather than speculate I'll leave it up to the ATSB why a multi engined aircraft could not maintain altitude.

[Philip Argy]

I think a twin engined aircraft suffering separate engine power failures or other problems is likely having some kind of fuel problem. Obviously we have to await the investigation but I can't see any harm in discussing here as a technological matter what sorts of problems can cause a twin engine aircraft to lose power or experience power surges on both engines a short time apart (whether or not that is what caused the crash on this occasion).

[Robert Zweck]

They talk about the dangers of light aircraft airports yet, in the same breath these critics conveniently forget about all the people who were killed on NSW roads last week.........by cars, a far more lethal weapon.

[Greg McDonald]

I watched the news on channel nine about this last night and one segment had a 'spokesman' for the local action group saying 'this is the perfect time for Bankstown to initiate a 7pm to 7am curfew'. He had some convoluted reasoning that it would stop Sydney airport from sending larger aircraft to Bankstown 'like they plan to'. The guy was an utter moron.

Even using this idiots reasoning, does that mean that a tragedy like this can't happen if the airport is open from 7am to 7pm? Once again....utter moron!!

[Dan Collins]

I saw the same idiot Greg. I was going to post up something but couldn't think of a way of forming the words together in a reasonable manner.

The guy was a looney. He was talking about things that weren't directly related to the incident and then went off on his own tangent to bring his personal and misguided beliefs to the table.

The interview I saw was on Seven, and to their credit, I think Chris Bath did try to keep him on track and eventually talked over him at the end to cut away from his speel. Seems he might've been able to spill out his feelings on the other channels as well though.

The curfew he was talking about would not have stopped the incident that happened yesterday from occuring, and then to talk about so-called plans to push larger jets from Sydney airport to Bankstown just sounded like nonsense.

I thought it was disrespectful to those involved in yesterday's crash to bring up the subject, but I knew it was going to happen sooner or later.

To the topic at hand, yesterday's crash was so unfortunate, but I believe the pilot did an excellent job in trying to return a stricken aircraft to a safe landing at Bankstown. Whether it was luck or something else, his actions meant that the only two people seriously affected/harmed were those aboard that aircraft.

Dan

[Nigel C]

They talk about the dangers of light aircraft airports yet, in the same breath these critics conveniently forget about all the people who were killed on NSW roads last week.........by cars, a far more lethal weapon.


Having dealt directly with an anti-airport lobbyist who used to lobby against Bankstown and lately against Wollongong, I'm well aware of the spin they tell those who care to listen.
I am pleased to say however they can be quietened somewhat when they're embarrassed in front of their followers with the facts, instead of the tripe they spin. The Wollongong lobby has been rather quiet since I attended one of their meetings.....

[Adam G]

I think a twin engined aircraft suffering separate engine power failures or other problems is likely having some kind of fuel problem.

I think you're missing Chris's point - there are reasons why a light twin engine plane may not be able to climb and/or maintain altitude with one engine fully operating.

Like Chris & most others on this board who have flown these types of aircraft, we'd be hesitant to post more as it just fuels media speculation at a very difficult time for many people.

[Jethro H]

I
The guy was a looney.
I am glad it wasn't just me. I thought it was so wrong of Channel 7 to try and bring in some controversy to a sad story so soon after the event. If they did their homework they would of known to steer away. I am sure Chris Bath thought "WTF was that guy on about"

It had nothing to do with the event, besides the plane took off well after his 7am curfew time. Just some moron who bought a house in a flight path by choice and now whinges.

Richard wrote"
They talk about the dangers of light aircraft airports yet, in the same breath these critics conveniently forget about all the people who were killed on NSW roads last week.........by cars, a far more lethal weapon.
Like where the shocking Grafton bus crash was 20 years ago on a Australia's second busiest highway... and still is only 2 lanes!

A plane crashes... they (media) need to blame someone like the government

[David Ramsay]

The Wollongong lobby has been rather quiet since I attended one of their meetings.....

That's because you took the shotgun with you. :eek:

[NeilP]

Why do people insist on watching "news" on commercial networks? Items are always sensationalised and experts are anything but....

[Carsten Bauer]

RIP to the 2 on board.
I was quite shaken to hear the pilot's final radio broadcast knowing that he would not be alive after a few more seconds :~(

I am glad that he kept clear of the school and other people on the ground :)

[Grant Smith]

That's because you took the shotgun with you. :eek:

That's how we roll down in the 'Gong :D

[Nigel C]

:D