Anindilyakwa Land Council employees survive horror single engine plane crash

Three survivors of a light plane crash on Groote Eylandt earlier this month have told the story of their near death experience while travelling for work and what helped get them through it.

Three workmates sit in a hotel room 600km away from their usual office space, bonded by an experience most people couldn’t fathom.

Thomas Bott, Karla Zuluaga and Betty Wurrawilya still bear the scars of the horror plane crash they were in just over a week ago.

The employees of Anindilyakwa Land Council were flying from Groote Eylandt to Ngukurr for work when the single engine aircraft crashed during an emergency landing.

The trio can’t believe the outcome wasn’t worse.

“We’re pretty lucky to get out, I mean, we’re all injured but it could have been worse,” Ms Zuluaga said.

A photo of the Cessna 210 following the crash on Groote Eylandt. Picture: Supplied

“It could have been a really different story.

“I really thank god that we are all alright — it’s nice to be alive,” Ms Wurrawilya said.

All three were flown to Royal Darwin Hospital following the incident, treated for serious injuries including broken toes, fingers and spinal fractures.

Recalling the moment he realised something was wrong on board, Mr Bott said the incident was “almost unbelievable”.

“There was about 15 seconds — my sense of time has been warped, I think — from realising we weren’t going to land on the runway and we’re going to crash and then we sort of bounced a few times before we hit the ground,” he said.

Once the plane had come to a stop, now on its roof after colliding with terrain, Mr Bott jumped into “superhero” mode.

Karla Zuluaga, Thomas Bott and Betty Wurrawilya were on board the charter flight that crashed on Groote Eylandt in mid-June. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

“He helped us all out of the plane and he didn’t even talk about it but he’s got three fractures on his spine,” Ms Zuluaga said.

“I thought I was gonna die — he carried me to the safe place,” Ms Wurrawilya added.

Mr Bott said his first response was to get everyone as far away from the plane as possible.

“I woke up and there was blood everywhere and also the smell of fuel and we can see fuel everywhere.

“I thought we’ve gotta get away from there in case it catches fire.”

All six on board made it out and sat by the side of the road until mine employees drove by and called for help.

It’s clear that going through this experience has brought the group a lot closer, using each other to fill in the moments they blacked out.

Along with the support from each other they have received cards, flowers and gifts from loved ones and the ALC was keeping in close contact to provide them whatever they needed.

Karla Zuluaga shortly after the plane crash on Groote Eylandt. Picture: Supplied

Ms Zuluaga said she hoped the incident shed a light on the need for planes to be fit for service in communities, something the land council called for immediately after the incident.

“Some newer planes would be good — they do look a bit rickety and like they’ve passed their day,” she said.

Mr Bott said he was eagerly awaiting the results of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau investigation, which remains ongoing.

“I’m just looking forward to seeing the outcome of the investigation to see what actually went wrong — and what could have been done better,” he said.

“What we know is just engine failure.”

The Cessna 210, registered VH-FTM had also been the subject of an earlier ATSB investigation following an engine failure in 2010, which forced it to do an emergency landing on Casuarina beach.

When asked now if they were anxious about getting on a plane following the incident, all three said they would do what they needed to for their job.

“I’m quite fine because I’ve ridden many, many planes before the incident,” Ms Zuluaga said.

“It’s just something that I have to deal with, I mean, I love my job, I’m not gonna stop doing it.”

But Mr Bott said he thought it would “maybe be a different story when we come to get on another single engine plane”.