Friday, September 02, 2011

Plane wreckage pulled from ocean

September 3, 2011 - 11:43AM

The wreckage of the light plane that crashed into the ocean, killing its pilot, has been salvaged off Sydney’s coast.

A spokesman for NSW Police said the wreckage of the two-seater ultralight plane was on its way to Bankstown Airport, where it would be investigated by the authorities.

He said the salvage operation, which started at about 7am today was completed sometime by 11am.

A rescue helicopter hovers over the area where the plane went down at North Curl Curl.

The plane crashed into the the sea off Curl Curl beach shortly after sending out a mayday alert about 10.15am yesterday.

It disappeared off the radar shortly afterwards.

The passenger, a 32-year-old man, managed to swim the surface and was helped ashore.

But the pilot Gary Malane, a 60-year-old man from Bonnet Bay in southern Sydney, was killed in the crash.

His body was later retrieved from the wreckage by divers.Surfers, lifesavers, police and shocked locals took to the water to also drag the surviving passenger to shore.

‘‘We did everything within our powers,’’ said Chief Inspector Colin Green, who was one of the first on the scene.

Two local surf lifesavers also tried reach the pilot, while other members of the public assisted the passenger on the shore, he said.

Superintendent Doreen Cruickshank said the plane appeared to get into difficulty as it was flying north across the beach.

A spokesman for the Australian Transport Safety Bureau said the Recreational Aviation Australia would be carrying out the investigation into the crash because the aircraft was registered as recreational.

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