A charter flight in the Kimberley region in northern WA crashed this morning shortly after 8:30am. The pilot of the Beechcraft Baron 58 was attempting to land at the East Kimberley Regional Airport when it crashed and then caught fire.
The 29-year-old pilot sustained serious injuries, including burns, and was expected to be flown to Darwin hospital, while the sole passenger, a male in his 50’s, sadly lost consciousness and died during the rescue efforts.
According to reports, at around 8:40am a person who was fishing at Bandicoot Point in Kununurra saw the plane and called the police when they saw it crash, landing between the river and the airport.
Investigators from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau were travelling to the scene of the crash today to examine the wreckage and determine what caused it. As part of the investigation, they will be reviewing the flight data, maintenance records and pilot records.
“The ATSB asks anyone who may have seen the aircraft in any phase of its flight, or who may have footage of any kind, to make contact,” the bureau said.
A preliminary report will take around 8 weeks and a report will be prepared for the coroner.
