A pilot has died after a light plane crashed into crocodile-infested waters in the Northern Territory.
The light plane crashed, with two passengers on board, at Fogg Dam – a wetland 67km southwest of Darwin – at about 10:20am on Sunday.
‘The Search and Rescue section coordinated a response and a CareFlight Helicopter was dispatched to the area,’ police said in a statement.
A 29-year-old female passenger was winched from the scene by helicopter and transported to Royal Darwin Hospital for assessment. She was not injured.
A 63-year-old man was found dead inside the aircraft.
Police established a crime scene and launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash.
The NT News reported witnesses spotted the plane flying at a low altitude at around 9am before allegedly crashing about 50metres from the dam wall.
Fogg Dam was built on the traditional lands of the Limilngan-Wulna people in the 1950s to provide irrigation for the Humpty Doo Rice Project.
However, the agricultural scheme failed, with the dam then becoming a refuge for wildlife, according to the NT Government’s website.
The area is a haven for saltwater crocodiles and other wildlife including pythons, birds and freshwater turtles.
