Australian Associated Press
A plane that went missing on Christmas Day over the Northern Territory has crashed in remote bushland, killing a man and a woman.
Police and investigators were on Monday working to access the crash scene after a single-engined light aircraft missing in Arnhem Land was located in dense bushland near Bulman.
Federal investigators said the Cessna 210N aircraft collided with terrain and left a debris field scattered over a large distance.
The plane with a 22-year-old male pilot and 43-year-old female passenger on board had been due to land in Tindal, south-east of Katherine, about midday on Sunday.
Northern Territory police said no further information would be available on Monday due to the crash’s remote location and the investigation being in its infancy.
The plane left Gove Airport in East Arnhem about 8.30am on Saturday bound for Katherine, 530km south-west, but failed to reach its destination.
Police, together with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority Response Centre (Amsa), conducted a search which ended on Sunday afternoon when the plane wreckage was found.
Amsa said the wreckage was located about 250km north-east of Katherine using dedicated search and rescue aircraft from Cairns and Essendon and additional NT-based planes and helicopters.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau also joined in the crash investigation on Monday.
“A team of transport safety investigators from the ATSB’s Brisbane and Canberra offices are preparing to deploy to the accident site where they will commence the on-site phase of the investigation,” the ATSB chief commissioner, Angus Mitchell, said.
“Given the remote location, the ATSB is liaising with Northern Territory police to determine the best way for investigators to access the accident site over the coming days.”
The initial ATSB safety investigation will include an examination of the wreckage, assessment of aircraft and pilot records, weather forecasts and observation, and any available recorded data.
It will produce a preliminary report within the next six to eight weeks.
Guardian
