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Caboolture plane crash under investigation Caboolture plane crash under investigation
(5 months later)
Hours before Joey King died in a plane crash on Saturday with his fiancee, Rahi Hohua, and three others, he joked about his fear of skydiving to his mates on social media.Hours before Joey King died in a plane crash on Saturday with his fiancee, Rahi Hohua, and three others, he joked about his fear of skydiving to his mates on social media.
Witnesses say the Cessna 206 disintegrated in a fireball when it crashed shortly after taking off from the Caboolture airfield, north of Brisbane, killing the pilot and four passengers on board.Witnesses say the Cessna 206 disintegrated in a fireball when it crashed shortly after taking off from the Caboolture airfield, north of Brisbane, killing the pilot and four passengers on board.
The passengers have been named unofficially as King, Hohua, skydiving instructors Glenn Norman and Juraj Glesk, from Adrenalin Skydivers.The passengers have been named unofficially as King, Hohua, skydiving instructors Glenn Norman and Juraj Glesk, from Adrenalin Skydivers.
King had earlier joked and bantered on Facebook that he was nervous about going skydiving to “conquer my greatest fear”.King had earlier joked and bantered on Facebook that he was nervous about going skydiving to “conquer my greatest fear”.
Queensland’s Department of Community Safety declined to comment about Norman, who is believed to have been a firefighter at Woodridge.Queensland’s Department of Community Safety declined to comment about Norman, who is believed to have been a firefighter at Woodridge.
The crash is being investigated by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.The crash is being investigated by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.
Bryan Carpenter, an airport safety officer who works at the Aerodynamic Flight Academy in Caboolture, said the plane swung to the left and plunged, hit the ground and burst into flames that engulfed it within moments. Bryan Carpenter, an airport safety officer who works at the Aerodynamic Flight Academy in Caboolture, said the plane swung to the left and plunged, hit the ground and burst into flames that engulfed it within moments.
“One of the things one would expect would be an engine failure but the engine was delivering power on touch down,’’ he said.“One of the things one would expect would be an engine failure but the engine was delivering power on touch down,’’ he said.
‘‘So it’s something mechanical I would say ... or the pilot could have blacked out – any number of scenarios. It’s a bit like MH370 at the moment, we just don’t know.’’‘‘So it’s something mechanical I would say ... or the pilot could have blacked out – any number of scenarios. It’s a bit like MH370 at the moment, we just don’t know.’’
Mark Thompson, who works at the Caboolture Warplane Museum and ran to the scene of the crash when he saw smoke, said it was the worst crash he had seen at the airport.Mark Thompson, who works at the Caboolture Warplane Museum and ran to the scene of the crash when he saw smoke, said it was the worst crash he had seen at the airport.
"They've had a couple of incidents here but nothing like this," he said."They've had a couple of incidents here but nothing like this," he said.
An ATSB spokesman said that investigators would go over the wreckage, analyse weather conditions and interview witnesses to determine what happened.An ATSB spokesman said that investigators would go over the wreckage, analyse weather conditions and interview witnesses to determine what happened.
The investigation by Australia’s safety watchdog comes a few days after a union, Professionals Australia, raised concerns about its staffing levels and the possibility of more cuts. The ATSB’s funding will decrease by approximately $2m between the 2013-14 and 2014-15 years.The investigation by Australia’s safety watchdog comes a few days after a union, Professionals Australia, raised concerns about its staffing levels and the possibility of more cuts. The ATSB’s funding will decrease by approximately $2m between the 2013-14 and 2014-15 years.
''I sought a commitment [from management] that would keep investigators and analysts out of the workforce cuts because that's the core function of the organisation. They've responded that they can't do that,’ David Smith, a union official, told Fairfax Media.''I sought a commitment [from management] that would keep investigators and analysts out of the workforce cuts because that's the core function of the organisation. They've responded that they can't do that,’ David Smith, a union official, told Fairfax Media.
An ATSB spokesman said management was “satisfied that the reductions can be managed without significant impact on the ATSB’s role in maintaining and improving transport safety”.An ATSB spokesman said management was “satisfied that the reductions can be managed without significant impact on the ATSB’s role in maintaining and improving transport safety”.