Miraculous escape from Lizard Island plane crash

One person suffered a head injury, and another had a broken arm after a light plane overshot the runway on the exclusive island in the far north Great Barrier Reef.

Ten people including an infant escaped alive from this Cessna 208 which overshot the runway and flipped at Lizard Island, an exclusive island paradise in the far north Great Barrier Reef.

Ten people have had a miraculous escape from a small plane that ran into strife shortly after takeoff from Lizard Island in far north Queensland and crashed into trees.

The flight operated by Townsville Airlines was returning to the runway at Lizard Island Airport shortly after taking off on a scheduled service to Cairns early Monday morning.

Australian Transport Safety Bureau chief commissioner Angus Mitchell said during the climb, the engine of the Cessna 208 began to run rough and the pilot attempted to return to Lizard Island.

“During approach the aircraft collided with trees and terrain and came to rest inverted, sustaining substantial damage,” said Mr Mitchell.

“There were reports of serious injuries among the occupants.”

A Royal Flying Doctor Service aircraft and two rescue helicopters responded to the crash on the island, which is about an hour flight from Cairns.

The Queensland Ambulance Service confirmed all ten people on board the Cessna were airlifted to Cairns Hospital to be checked out. Two had more serious injuries including a broken arm and head trauma.

Late Monday Cairns Hospital advised that the condition of all involved was “stable”.

QAS acting assistant commissioner Brina Keating said the remoteness of the island meant the response could have taken some time.

“The only way to access the island is by boat or air,” said

“Fortunately we had those assets to deploy into the area straight away.”

Images from the scene showed the badly damaged upturned fuselage with the registration VH-NWJ.

Mr Mitchell said the ATSB had begun the “evidence collection phase” of their investigation.

“This will involve interviewing the pilot, witnesses, first responders and other involved parties, and reviewing recorded data and maintenance records,” he said.

“The ATSB asks anyone who may have witnessed or has photos or video footage of the aircraft at any phase of the flight to make contact via the witness form on our website at their earliest opportunity.”

Lizard Island is best known for its luxury resort, which has hosted an array of celebrities including Tiger Woods, Kate Hudson, Ellen de Generes and Russell Crowe.

The island has also featured in various films and documentaries including Fool’s Gold and David Attenborough’s Life in Colour.