Evelyn Smith
New Year’s Eve was supposed to be a day to have maximum fun, to revel in the happiness and joy that a New Year brings.
But that wasn’t the case for four Brits and an eleven-year-old boy, all of whom lost their lives tragically in a plane crash on New Year’s Eve.
The pilot of the aircraft also lost his life making it a total of six people who kicked the bucket after a tourist plane crashed into a river north of Sydney around 3 pm on New Year’s Eve.
According to reports from the seaplane charter company, the passengers who lost their lives were all on a wine and dine tour when the tragic incident happened.
As of now, there are no major indications as to the cause of the crash.
Witnesses enjoying New Year’s Eve in boats on the river said they saw the aircraft make a sharp turn before nosediving into the water with one witness saying that it appeared a wing hit the water first.
Based on that assumption, authorities involved in handling airplane crashes on the Sydney river and its environs are theorizing that the pilot was trying to make an emergency landing when things when south.
In the meantime, the bodies of the deceased have been pulled from the river and the police are working to retrieve the wreckage of the aircraft.
It is hoped that when that is achieved, experts will be able to examine the wreckage of the craft sufficiently enough to determine the cause of the crash and prevent future occurrences.
It is also understood that authorities were still trying to contact families of the four UK victims, although it is not clear whether the eleven-year-old boy is among the four the UK.
The details of the victims of the crash together with their exact identities are still unknown as the Police Acting Superintendent Michael Gorman, on the banks of the river, said he did not have details of the victims and was unable to provide the names or ages of those who died.
‘It is early in the investigation and we are working with the plane company, getting investigators here to confirm the identities and investigate why the plane crashed into the water,’ he said.
The timeline of the tragic crash has also been pinpointed to be around 3 o’ clock in the afternoon local time as video taken from nearby boats show the doomed aircraft around that time.
Witness Myles Baptiste said he saw the plane crash and was quoted as saying while speaking to 9News,
‘It made a tight right-hand turn and as it actually turned around, the wings dipped and it nosedived straight into the water.’
Sydney Seaplanes managing director Aaron Shaw confirmed that the aircraft was one of theirs and said they were working with police on the scene.
Spokesperson Aaron Shaw said,
‘All at Sydney Seaplanes are deeply shocked by this incident and the resulting loss of life.We wish to pass on our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the passengers and pilot who were tragically killed. We do not yet know the cause of the accident’.
Aaron Shaw also confirmed that Sydney Airplanes has stopped all flights in the aftermath of the crash and that all hands are on deck to understand the cause of the accident.
‘We are dedicating our full resources in assisting the NSW Police, the Australian Transport Safety Board, Civil Aviation Safety Authority and other relevant authorities to understand the cause of the accident. Sydney Seaplanes has been operating since 2005, have undertaken thousands of flights in that period and have had an unblemished safety record until now’.
The bureau is expected to release a preliminary report in just under a month, according to The Australian and Forensic police are also on their way to the scene.
Hopefully, enough work can be done to gauge the course of the accident and prevent further happenings.
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