Planes collide mid-air over Caboolture airfield with two killed as emergency services rush to the scene
- Two people killed dead in mid-air collision
- One of the pilots of light aircraft survived
- Emergency responders remain on scene
Two people have been killed following a horrifying mid-air collision involving two light aircraft north of Brisbane.
Emergency responders rushed to the scene at Caboolture airfield shortly after 10.30am Friday.
Authorities have confirmed man and woman aged in 60s who were in an aircraft taking off at the time have died.
The pilot of the other aircraft survived and managed to get out of the wreckage ‘relatively uninjured’.
Harrowing photos and footage from the scene show debris strewn across the airfield and two damaged aircraft surrounded by emergency responders.
Emergency responders are at the scene of a collision between two aircraft vehicles
Photos show the destruction after the planes collided mid-air. Via Sky News
At least 15 emergency services vehicles remain at scene.
Authorities have not yet confirmed how many occupants were in the planes with the police investigation still in its early stages.
‘There has been a loss of life which is tragic,’ Superintendent Paul Ready told reporters.
‘We’re at the initial part of the investigation trying to confirm who was aboard those light aircraft and that will continue.’
‘It did occur low to the ground at the eastern end of the airfield.’
Supt Ready added it was remarkable the pilot in the second aircraft survived, ‘when you look at the damage on the ground’.
‘Investigators are on scene. They are talking to the pilot of the other aircraft and once we get that information we will be in a better position to identify what has occurred.’
The cause of the collision is yet to be determined.
Two people are feared dead after a mid-air collision between two light aircraft
Queensland Ambulance earlier confirmed five crews were sent to the scene of a ‘significant incident’.
Paramedic Matthew Davis described the crash scene as ‘confronting’ and ‘extremely traumatic’ for emergency responders.
One of the aircraft involved in the collision was a Piper PA-25 Pawnee.
Caboolture Airfield caters to general aviation and ultralight aircraft and is not controlled by Airservices Australia.
An airfield spokesman confirmed the aircraft involved were registered and not linked to the gliding club based at the airfield. He declined to comment further.
The Queensland Police forensic crash unit has launched an investigation into the collision.
Australian Transport Safety Bureau will also conduct a separate investigation.
The tragedy comes almost a decades after five people were killed when a Cessna crashed at the same airfield.
Two planes collided mid-air over Caboolture airfield north of Brisbane
