Sydney: Piper PA-28 aircraft, with a 37-year-old man and a 34-year-old woman on board, departed from Bankstown Airport in Sydney’s southwest around 2:20 pm on Thursday.
Shortly after takeoff, just five minutes into the training flight, the plane suffered engine failure and had to execute an emergency landing near the sporting fields at Bossley Park, as reported by the Canberra Times.
The pilot adeptly steered the aircraft into nearby trees, mitigating the crash’s impact. Despite carrying up to 340 litres of fuel, both passengers incurred only minor injuries and refused further medical treatment from paramedics at the scene.
The crash site was near Mary Immaculate Catholic Primary School, and the event took place just before the students were due to leave for the day. Principal Beverly Coffey was alerted to the crash by parents who were there to collect their children.
Staff and teachers promptly put on high-visibility clothing to handle the situation and soothe the children, who were quite distressed, yet the school day ended without any additional interruptions. A parent commended the pilot, stating, “I honestly think that the pilot prevented a more serious accident from happening.” FlightAware’s aviation tracking data indicates that the aircraft climbed to roughly 300 meters at a speed of 144 km/h before it crash-landed about two minutes later. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau is investigating the incident.
