A person has died in a light-weight aircraft crash in fields at Yeelanna, in South Australia’s Decrease Eyre Peninsula area.
SA Police stated the pilot and sole occupant of the aircraft, a 36-year-old Port Lincoln man, died on the scene.
Studies of the crash at Yeelanna, about 15 kilometres north of Cummins and about 80 kilometres north of Port Lincoln alongside the Tod Freeway, first emerged about 1:30pm.
Australian Transport Security Bureau (ATSB) chief commissioner Angus Mitchell earlier advised ABC SA’s Regional Drive program that the crash concerned a single-seat Air Tractor agricultural plane that was understood to have been spraying crops.
He stated authorities have been alerted to the incident when a “locator beacon” on the plane was activated.
“The precise technique of activation on this case, we aren’t certain of, however we do know that then goes off and it is picked up, usually by the Rescue Coordination Centre in Canberra … after which they make emergency providers notifications as mandatory,” he stated.
Angus Mitchell says authorities have been alerted to the incident when a locator beacon was activated. (ABC Information)
He stated a group of ATSB security investigators from Melbourne and Canberra, specialising in plane operations and engineering, have been anticipated to reach on the scene early on Tuesday.
In a separate assertion, the ATSB, which conducts “no blame” investigations to assist forestall future incidents, stated the investigators would examine the positioning and wreckage and likewise recuperate any plane components for additional examination at their amenities in Canberra.
“Investigators may even search to interview related events, and accumulate any recorded data together with accessible flight monitoring information, in addition to pilot and plane upkeep data, and climate data,” the assertion stated.
SA Police main crash investigators are anticipated to reach on scene late on Monday. A report will likely be ready for the coroner.
