Orange light plane crashes at runway, pilot and instructor suffer critical burns
Updated
A pilot and instructor are in a critical condition after a light plane crashed at Orange airport, in western New South Wales.
The aircraft was doing circuits when it crashed on the northern side of the runway shortly after 7:00pm and burst into flames on impact.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) confirmed the Cirrus SR-22 aircraft had been conducting a training flight with two people on board.
A man and a woman, both aged in their 40s, suffered critical burns when the small four-seater plane crashed.
The pair have been airlifted to Royal North Shore Hospital.
NSW Ambulance acting duty operations manager, Jason Speight, said the pair had been practicing take off and landing procedures when the crash occurred.
They had suffered burns to their arms, legs, scalp and airways and possible fractures.
"Both patients were conscious when they were removed from the aircraft and have been intubated for transport down to Sydney," he said.
He said the pair had been unable to tell authorities what happened in the moments before the crash.
"It is a sad day for the families that this would happen and all of our agencies responded in a prompt time and we are grateful [for that]," he said.
In a statement, the ATSB said it was investigating the "collision-with-terrain" incident, with investigators expected to arrive at the scene on Wednesday morning.
"Once on site, investigators will examine the wreckage, gather any available records and interview any witnesses," the statement said.
"Should a critical safety issue be identified during the course of the investigation, the ATSB will immediately notify relevant parties."
Topics: disasters-and-accidents, accidents, orange-2800, nsw
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