Two people seriously injured in plane crash at Orange Airport
Two people have been seriously injured in a plane crash at Orange Airport shortly after 7pm on Tuesday evening.
Emergency services are at the scene after responding to reports a four-seater light plane had crashed and was on fire, a spokesman for NSW Rural Fire Service said.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has confirmed the two people involved in Tuesday night’s plane crash at Orange Regional Airport were conducting a training flight.
Emergency services were at the scene and the plane’s occupants, understood to be a man and a woman aged in their 40s, were airlifted to Royal North Shore Hospital suffering serious burns, including damage to their airways, as well as fractures.
Acting Duty Operations Manager with NSW Ambulance Jason Speight said both victims were conscious when emergency services arrived on the scene, and that the female victim had suffered more serious injuries and was in a critical condition.
A spokeswoman for the Australian Transport Safety Bureau confirmed the aircraft involved in the accident was a Cirrus SR22, which is a small, single-engine, four- or five-seater light aircraft.
The cause of the crash is unknown, but there are reports the plane may have been circling the airport in training exercises before it came into land and burst into flames.
The incident will be investigated by NSW Police Force and the ATSB.
“A team of ATSB Transport Safety Investigators will travel to the accident location tomorrow (Wednesday) morning to commence the evidence collection phase of the investigation,” the ATSB statement said.
“Once on site, investigators will examine the wreckage, gather any available recorded data and interview any witnesses, amongst other activities.
“The evidence collection phase will define the size and scope of the investigation and determine the expected timeframe for the completion of a final report.”
Other aircraft were taking off and landing as per usual after the crash, with a Rex passenger flight landing at the airport after 9pm on Tuesday, and other aircraft taking off from the main runway.