PERTH – At least two people on board were killed on Thursday when a seaplane crashed into Swan River during Australia Day celebrations.
Numbers of people gathered on the shoreline to observe Perth’s Skyworks show, which now has been cancelled following the accident.
The pilot and a passenger were on board and both died at the scene at 5pm local time, the international media reported.
It can be seen in video footage that a fixed-wing white stunt plane taking rounds before it crashes into the water.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dq-dt1FvUMo&feature=youtu.be
According to the Mirror, eyewitnesses said the plane was following another water plane south along the river before it banked and seemed to stall, before going down.
Eyewitness Lloyd Douglas, who was onboard a boat at the time, told ABC news in Australia: “My concern was that he’d landed in amongst all the small boats up at the east end of the Perth water.
“I don’t think that he did hit other boats.
“It did hit the water with a fairly decent force, and goodness if it had another boat in the water or something it would be a tragedy.” He added that it took several minutes for people to reach the stricken plane.
The city administration has started working to recover the wreckage of crashed plane from the river.
