The crash happened at about 10am. Photo / NewsWire
Andrew Connors, 55, and his wife Julianne, 54, have been identified as two of three people killed in a “gruesome and devastating” crash on the south coast of New South Wales.
The crash happened at Shellharbour in the Illawarra region on Saturday morning at about 10am local time.
A third person killed is one of their close friends.
The couple leave behind two children in their 20s, with close friends describing the Illawarra builder as a great bloke.
“He was one of those guys that just would do anything to help someone,” one said.
“They’d hardly got up in the air and burst into flames, it’s just so horrible.”
Police sources said the Conners arrived at Shellharbour Airport with 73-year-old Colin McLaughlin at about 9.30am.
They entered a seven centre Hyperlance Cherokee fixed wing aircraft and took off in an east-west direction.
It is understood the aircraft stalled and lost altitude quickly, with the nose crashing on to the runway and becoming fully engulfed in flames.
A Rural Fire Service truck was nearby at the airport conducting training and responded immediately.
Conners’ son arrived at the scene and said his parents were travelling to Bathurst and he had not heard from them.
Images from the scene show the completely destroyed aircraft in the middle of the runway, with police and firefighters surveying the scene.
Only the blue and white tail is visible, as the fuselage has been totally burned.
Lake Illawarra Police District Chief Inspector Aaron Wunderlich described the incident as “gruesome” and “horrific”.
“I’d thank to thank the emergency response … with what was really a difficult incident,” he told reporters.
“They did a fantastic job with what was really a horrific scene.”
Witnesses told police the left side wing hit the runway before bursting into flames.
“The plane has taken off on the tarmac and gone about 30m into the air. At that point, witnesses (said) the aircraft dipped with its left wing coming down and it contacted the tarmac,” Wunderlich said.
“Unfortunately, the plane was engulfed [by fire].”
All police involved would be offered counselling, Wunderlich said.
“It’s something they should speak to someone about. It’s quite a gruesome scene. It’s obviously a very tragic incident.”
The inspector said the three people who lost their lives were adults of a “similar” age, that police had CCTV footage of the crash, and were in the process of getting the plane’s logs.
He confirmed the plane was headed for Bathurst but was unaware if the group was going for the V8 Supercars.
Australian Transport Safety Bureau investigators are at the airport, collecting weather data, aircraft maintenance records, and information about the pilot’s qualifications.
Images showed multiple emergency services vehicles on the tarmac after, and a fire and rescue command bus at an entrance to the runway.
Flight data shows a privately owned, six-seat single engine Piper Cherokee Lance aircraft began to depart Shellharbour at 10am.
Flight tracking shows the plane veered to the left and crashed as it began to take off from the westward runway.
Aerial footage shows blackened tarmac consistent with the publicly available flight path data.
The flight data also shows the plane was destined for Bathurst, about 170km away.
A crime scene has been declared on the runway and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau have been notified.
In a statement on Saturday afternoon, a spokesman for the ATSB said four transport safety investigators, from Canberra and Melbourne, who specialise in aircraft operations, maintenance and engineering, were headed to the site.
“Investigators will conduct a range of evidence-gathering activities including site survey with a drone, wreckage examination, and recovery of any aircraft components for further examination at the ATSB’s technical facilities in Canberra.
“Investigators will also seek to interview involved parties and witnesses, and collect relevant recorded information including flight tracking data, pilot and aircraft maintenance records, and weather information.
“The ATSB asks anyone with video footage of the aircraft prior to the accident to make contact via the witness form on our website: atsb.gov.au/witness at their earliest opportunity.”
Local state MP Katelin McInerney labelled the news “devastating”.
“My thoughts are with the family and friends of those involved in the crash, as well as the dedicated first responders.”
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