Glenn Collins survived a gruesome plane crash at the Avalon Airshow. Now, he’s looking to fly again
Pilot Glenn Collins miraculously lived to tell the tale after a horror plane crash during an aerobatic show at Avalon. He’s already looking to take to the skies again.
Victoria
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The stunt pilot who miraculously survived the horror Avalon Airshow crash has declared he will “absolutely” fly again as his gruesome injuries are revealed.
Veteran pilot Glenn Collins continues to recover from his plethora of injuries after his stunt plane crashed into the ground in front of horrified spectators at the Airshow in March.
Mr Collins was performing a “triple avalanche” manoeuvre about 100 feet lower than intended before his plane spectacularly crashed into the ground.
It was a miracle that he survived.
When asked if he would fly planes again, Mr Collins was explicit.
“Absolutely. If I can’t pass the medical, I’ll still be going up,” he said, in his first interview since the dramatic crash.
“I’ll be back in the air.”
Mr Collins suffered significant fractures to his spine, leg and foot, punctured lungs and internal bleeding.
Mr Collins, who is still wheelchair-bound, says he’s getting feeling back in his legs and is hoping to walk soon as he recovers at a rehabilitation centre in Sydney.
Mr Collins’ wife, Tracey, said she feared her husband had died or would not recover from his injuries.
She said the community’s generosity in donating funds for his ongoing rehabilitation was immense.
More than $85,000 has so far been raised.
“I was afraid I’d lose him,” she said.
“I’m so thankful we’ve had complete strangers that have seen our story and donated money towards us. We think that Glenn will have lifelong ongoing medical costs.”
Footage from the cockpit of the Pitts S1-11X aircraft shows Mr Collins performing a “triple avalanche” before it descends closer to the ground.
The plane rolled three times, with the nose facing the ground, before he attempts to lift it seconds before impact.
It careered into the grass and left a 95m scar on the ground.
Witnesses at the time reported hearing only a loud band — with no smoke or flames visible.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau’s preliminary report recently revealed that Mr Collins began performing the stunt between 700 and 800 feet in the air.
“This was below the pilot’s reported normal minimum altitude for commencing the snap rolls of 1000 feet,” the ATSB report states.
Mr Collins said he “should have known” he wasn’t high enough to successfully perform the tricky stunt.
“I should have realised I didn’t have enough altitude, even disregard the altimeter, just me putting my head up and looking down at the ground,” he added.
“I should have known.”
GoPro footage from the cockpit continues to be analysed by investigators, who say there were no apparent faults with the actual aircraft before takeoff.
“We examined the wreckage and we found no evidence of pre-impact defects and the flight controls were all intact and connected,” lead investigator Angus Baxter said.
Trauma specialist Dr Joseph Mathew, who has been caring for Mr Collins at Alfred Health, said his injuries were complex.
“Not many people survive a plane crash,” he said.
“The external body decelerates suddenly to zero, but the internal structures are still moving at 300km/hr.”
Watch the full 7NEWS Spotlight interview on Sunday night at 8.20pm on Seven.
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