‘Thrown out’: Witness recalls fiery gyrocopter crash on K’gari

A tourist boat crew watched in shock as a gyrocopter crashed and burst into flames on K’gari, narrowly missing beachgoers.

A gyrocopter pilot has been injured after his aircraft crashed and burst into flames on K’gari’s western coast on Friday afternoon, narrowly missing a group of beachgoers.

Mark Davies from Karma Dives told NewsWire he had just returned from a tour while working aboard Whalesong Cruises, which had more than 40 tourists on board, when the gyrocopter came down near Moon Point, opposite Hervey Bay.

“We were on the beach packing our stuff up and he flew over the top of us. It sounded like he was low on fuel and he just hit the deck,” Mr Davies said.

A tourist boat crew watched in shock as a gyrocopter crashed and burst into flames on K’gari, narrowly missing beachgoers. Picture LifeFlight

A gyrocopter pilot has been injured after his aircraft crashed and burst into flames on K’gari’s western coast on Friday afternoon, narrowly missing a group of beachgoers. Picture: Carlie Walker

“If he had hit 50 metres closer then I would have been diving out the way.”

He said the pilot, a man in his 50s, was “thrown out” of the gyrocopter on impact, and the aircraft caught fire soon after.

Mr Davies pulled the man away from the wreckage and alerted the crew aboard the boat to call for help.

“There was a lot of heat and fumes coming off it,” he said.

“We didn’t really get it out, it just burnt itself out.”

Mark Davies from Karma Dives told NewsWire he had just returned from a tour while working aboard Whalesong Cruises when the gyrocopter came down in front of them.

Mr Davies said the man was “not good” immediately after the crash but was conscious and talking before emergency crews arrived. Conditions at the time were fine, with “no wind,” he added.

A Queensland Ambulance spokeswoman said paramedics assessed the man who had suffered arm and head injuries.

He was later flown to Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital in a stable condition.

Originally published as ‘Thrown out’: Witness recalls fiery gyrocopter crash on K’gari