DARWIN, AUSTRALIA: A light aircraft made an emergency landing in shallow water in an Australian harbour on Friday and the pilot and five passengers waded safely to shore, authorities said.
The Piper Chieftain was carrying a group of IT technicians bound for a remote Aboriginal desert community to do computer maintenance when it ditched shortly after take-off from Darwin in northern Australia, police said.
"Apparently the pilot experienced some engine trouble on take-off and realized he wouldn't be able to make it back to the airport so he's made a decision to land it on the beach," spokesman Rob Farmer told reporters.
The pilot and his passengers -- who were travelling to the Maningrida community -- were unharmed and waded the 200 metres (yards) to shore, he said.
"It is unclear what caused the engine troubles that prompted the emergency landing but the pilot did a remarkable job," Farmer said.
Witness Mel Collins told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation she saw the plane go down. "I was just chilling out with my first cup of coffee for the morning and a plane came from the left... and really close to the water," she told ABC local radio.
"It was really close, and I was thinking what's going on with it, and then it touched down in the water." The aircraft's owners and employer of the technicians on board, CSG Services, commended pilot Steve Bolle.
"At this point the cause of the incident remains unknown, however we would like to congratulate the pilot following all emergency landing and evacuation procedures and his very professional handling of the situation," CSG said in a statement.
Denis Mackenzie, the company's managing director, said Bolle realized one of the plane's engines had lost power and his response was "very cool".
"It was definitely really dramatic, it happened so soon after they took off, to go up and come down again like that," Mackenzie told local commercial radio.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/Light_plane_lands_in_Australian_harbour/articleshow/4088266.cms
The Piper Chieftain was carrying a group of IT technicians bound for a remote Aboriginal desert community to do computer maintenance when it ditched shortly after take-off from Darwin in northern Australia, police said.
"Apparently the pilot experienced some engine trouble on take-off and realized he wouldn't be able to make it back to the airport so he's made a decision to land it on the beach," spokesman Rob Farmer told reporters.
The pilot and his passengers -- who were travelling to the Maningrida community -- were unharmed and waded the 200 metres (yards) to shore, he said.
"It is unclear what caused the engine troubles that prompted the emergency landing but the pilot did a remarkable job," Farmer said.
Witness Mel Collins told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation she saw the plane go down. "I was just chilling out with my first cup of coffee for the morning and a plane came from the left... and really close to the water," she told ABC local radio.
"It was really close, and I was thinking what's going on with it, and then it touched down in the water." The aircraft's owners and employer of the technicians on board, CSG Services, commended pilot Steve Bolle.
"At this point the cause of the incident remains unknown, however we would like to congratulate the pilot following all emergency landing and evacuation procedures and his very professional handling of the situation," CSG said in a statement.
Denis Mackenzie, the company's managing director, said Bolle realized one of the plane's engines had lost power and his response was "very cool".
"It was definitely really dramatic, it happened so soon after they took off, to go up and come down again like that," Mackenzie told local commercial radio.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/Light_plane_lands_in_Australian_harbour/articleshow/4088266.cms
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