Thread: Plane crashes off Darwin beach

Plane crashes off Darwin beach - Northern Territory News

A PLANE has crashed in shallow water off Darwin this morning.

The small plane was forced to make an emergency landing just after takeoff from Darwin Airport.

The pilot managed to land the plane in shallow water about 200m off the shore at East Point.

The five passengers and pilot escaped injury and were able to walk to shore.

None of them required medical treatment at Royal Darwin Hospital.

The passengers seemed shaken as they were driven away from the crash site and were grateful to the pilot who saved their life.

"He did a good job,'' one passenger said.

Family members gathered at a picnic area near the shoreline and were relieved their loved ones had survived the crash.

Police superintendent Rob Farmer said the crash was caused by a problem with the plane's engine.

"Apparently the pilot experienced some engine trouble on takeoff and realised he wouldn't be able to make it back to the airport so he's made a decision to land it on the beach at East Point.''

It is understood the plane was forced to land close to the foreshore about 8.30am.

The plane remains in shallow waters off East Point.

The plane was privately owned by IT company CSG and was flying technicians to the remote community of Maningrida, 500km east of Darwin, to perform routine maintenance on computers at the health clinic, police station and school.

The five passengers and pilot were all CSG employees.

CSG chief executive Denis McKenzie is expected to make a statement this afternoon.

Nightcliff resident Mel Collins told ABC radio she witnessed the crash from her apartment.

"I was sitting down for my first cup of coffee for the morning and the plane came from the left at the back of the flat, really close to the water,'' she said.

"It was really close and I thought, 'what's going on with that!' Then it touched down on the water.''

CSG eh - anyone know them?

isnt that Donna ?

all thats sticking out at the moment is the tail wing :S

high tide got to it...

went out and had a look pretty full on
lucky no 1 was hurt

but that plane was an accident waiting to happen always under repair scary as hell.....


apparently this isnt the first emergency landing this pilot has had and i would buy him 6 beers for such a good landing

good on him for the safe / crash landing

5 minutes before this was on news radio, i was winding Bad Crispy up as he was about to fly "Air LaBamba" out to one of the islands

^ Kent fuggin!!!!!
Twin prop feels better than the coffin air singles i had to fly in last year - still I puckered up and became one with the chair on the way to melbille and back today....

Is that Brenton in the middle? He looks familiar, I think he used to be the site bloke at Parap MVR.

Originally Posted by Korny

isnt that Donna ?

Yep. That's Donna...

Firm defends flight history after Darwin emergency - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

The operator of the aircraft which landed in shallow water off Darwin yesterday says it has not had any major incidents with its aircraft before.

The pilot of the plane, owned by IT company CSG, had to land on a sandbar off East Point after engine failure yesterday morning.

None of the six company staff on board was injured, and the CSG will try to recover the aircraft this morning using a barge and crane at low tide.

CSG managing director Denis Mackenzie says the company has not had any problems like this before even though it flies 1,800 hours a year on average taking staff around the Territory.

"We fly to most territory communities every day," he said.

"We service a number of Northern Territory Government contracts, Department of Education contracts and other contracts where we look after IT equipment and services in communities."

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNLQtekSPdA]YouTube - Raw Video: Plane Lands in Australian Harbor[/ame]

Originally Posted by OverDrive

"He did a good job,'' one passenger said.

pretty sure pilots flight planes, not crash them.

think the point is he didnt crash it so much as land it with a buggered engine ;P

remember, every landing you can walk away from is a good one

Was there this morning.. Planes dont like rough seas.. who would of thought.. :p
anyways.. luckey they all walked away.. im going to buy Steve a beer or two when i see him next