Plane crash: Tragedy strikes again at Lockhart River

Grief counselling has been offered to staff at a government department in Cairns where four victims of a tragic Cape York plane crash worked. The four men, aged 63, 62, 57 and 49, were killed alongside the 39-year-old pilot.

FIVE men have been killed in a light plane crash in an “unthinkable” tragedy near the site of one of Australia’s worst air disasters in Far North Queensland.

Four Q Build workers, aged 63, 62, 57 and 49, and the 39-year-old pilot, all of Cairns, died when a twin-engine Cessna 404 Titan smashed into sand dunes in poor weather near Lockhart River on Cape York yesterday.

“It made two attempts to land, on the third occasion the plane has tragically crashed,’’ Far North Acting Chief Superintendent Chris Hodgman said.

“Nobody has survived that crash.”

Recovery efforts at the site of the plane crash have been hampered by poor weather this morning as a tropical low moves across the Cape.

Acting Chief Supt Hodgman said the mission to reach the men would take some time.

Police last night guarded the “devastating scene” of the aircraft wreckage and the bodies of the five victims, with a team of investigators due to fly into the remote Aboriginal township, 760km north of Cairns today.

It is close to where an ill-fated passenger jet crashed on Iron Range, near the airstrip, killing all 15 people on-board in 2005.

“It is quite surreal to have another tragedy like this at Lockhart River,’’ Acting Chief Superintendent Hodgman said.

“It’s unthinkable really.”

WEATHER ‘EXACTLY THE SAME’ AS 2005 TRAGEDY

Witnesses told how heavy cloud and rain from a brewing tropical low yesterday blanketed the runway, reducing visibility as the plane was flying low on approach over the beach from the sea about 9.15am. It is unclear if the pilot made a Mayday call or was in radio contact in the moments before the crash.

And it was “too early” to comment about the possible cause of the latest crash or other factors, police said.

“We know weather conditions are pretty rough up there at the moment,’’ Act Chief Supt Hodgman said.

Quintell beach 4 km east of plane crash near Lockhart River township on Cape York.

“If you know Lockhart River it is quite interesting terrain, there are monsoonal winds, providing some challenging conditions.

“There are some challenges to get to the crash site, with the weather conditions and availability of flights.

“It took us quite some time to locate the plane. It was overdue from 11am and it was not until 1.20pm that we located the wreckage.”

Q Build staff, with four of the victims based out of the government department in Cairns, have been offered grief counselling as police work to contact next-of-kin.

Efforts to contact highly regarded pilot and aircraft maintenance engineer Grant Sindelar, who held the long-term lease to the Cessna 404 registration VH-OZO operating under the company name of Airconnect Australia, were last night unsuccessful.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk last night tweeted: “A tragic loss of life on Cape York today. I offer my deep condolences to the families and friends who are grieving for their loved ones tonight.”

Cape York Inspector Mark Henderson with Lockhart River Mayor Wayne Butcher at the plane crash on Quintell Beach, 4 km east of plane crash near Lockhart River township on Cape York.

Lockhart River Mayor Wayne Butcher said the weather yesterday was eerily “exactly the same” as the day of the 2005 tragedy.

“It was terrible weather this morning. It’s been full-on rain,’’ he said.

“Our whole community is grieving this awful loss. These guys on that plane were here to help us rebuild our community. We had a cyclone hit us this time last year, it’s just one tragedy to the next.”

The ATSB said experienced investigators would be sent to the location of the crash.

“ATSB transport safety investigators with experience in aircraft operations, aircraft maintenance and aeronautical engineeringare preparing to deploy to the accident site,” a statement from the transport authority said.

“On site, investigators will examine the wreckage and site surrounds, including with the use of a 3D mapping drone.

“The ATSB will also analyse available recorded data and review weather information.”

It is understood the charter flight left Cairns Airport about 8.20am and was due to land at Lockhart River Airport just before 10am.

The plane is registered to West Australian company Aerohire and was used for charter flights.

Flight path of Cessna that crashed near Lockhart River

A spokesman for Aerohire said the plane had been on a long-term lease to Airconnect Australia. It had been leased for morethan 12 months.

He said he did not believe the plane had any safety record issues.

“We are sending our condolences and our thoughts to all the families and those involved,” he said.

Tim Layton, of business The Greenhoose, said rain had been constant around Lockhart River.

“I live on top of a hill and it has a good view and this morning we couldn’t see anything because of the rain and the cloud,” he said.

“The rain has been constant.

“It has been ground-soaking weather.”

An aviation source said the site where the wreckage was found was consistent with the flight path of a plane that had madea missed approach.

The ATSB plans to release an initial report on the crash in about a month, with a more in-depth final report planned for 18months’ time.

However the ATSB said it would immediately notify relevant stakeholders if any critical safety issues arise during investigations.

A Cairns-based pilot who flew the same plane on the same route into Lockhart River said it was a well maintained and reliable aircraft.

But the flight path from the sea to get under heavy cloud cover could lead to “a tendency to fly too low on approach”, he said.

Local David Glasheen, who was at sea on a trawler, said thick cloud had covered the runway in the morning and “nobody could see any bloody thing”.

“When it gets like that the pilots have to keep going around in circles, until they think they can shoot a gap in the cloud,’’ he said.

The Far North’s CFMEU representative Rolly Cummins said they had been speaking with QBuild managers and were helping provide support for staff.

“We’re working with Mates in Construction who do counselling for those who need help,” he said.

“It’s terrible news.”

Originally published as Plane crash: Tragedy strikes again at Lockhart River