A pilot has been seriously injured after a small plane crashed at the southern hemisphere’s largest air show.
Spectators at the Avalon Airshow were left stunned when the plane lost control and crashed into the tarmac during a demonstration on Friday afternoon.
The crumpled wreck of the orange plane came to a stop near the tarmac and sparked a small grass fire.
The airshow was called off for the day after the incident.
Paramedics said they responded to an aircraft incident in Avalon around 5.35pm today involving a “man in his fifties”.
“There is one patient with upper and lower body injuries, in a serious condition,” they said.
“An air ambulance has been dispatched. There are no further details at this stage.”
Police confirmed the aircraft’s pilot, who was the sole occupant, suffered serious injuries.
“The incident occurred a significant distance away from spectators and there have been no reports of further injuries,” Victoria Police said in a statement.
“The exact circumstances surrounding the crash are yet to be determined.”
Andrew, a witness who did not give his surname and was watching the display with his family, said the plane came down in a loop and could not recover.
“We’re OK … everyone was a bit stunned,” he said.
Another witness said the aircraft was diving and flattened out before the right-hand wing dipped and it rolled.
“The exact circumstance surrounding the crash are yet to be determined,” police said.
The crumpled wreck of the orange plane came to a stop near the tarmac and sparked a small grass fire.
The crash is believed to have occurred during a solo aerobatic display hosted by a NSW event management company.
It featured the Wolf Pitts Pro, an aircraft with a top speed of 414km/h and the ability to withstand large G-forces.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has launched a probe into the crash, with a team of investigators to be sent from its Canberra office.
The bureau’s chief commissioner Angus Mitchell said investigators would examine the site and wreckage and recover any aircraft components for further examination in Canberra.
“Investigators will also seek to interview any involved parties, and collect relevant recorded information including available flight tracking data, as well as pilot and aircraft maintenance records, and weather information,” he said.
Anyone with video footage of the aircraft at any phase of the flight, or in the immediate aftermath of the crash, has been urged to contact the bureau.
The Department of Transport said additional trains and coaches were en route to the area to assist passengers leaving the event.
“As an early finish was not expected, many trains and buses are out of position and will take some time to arrive,” it said.
“Traffic management is already in place to assist motorists to leave the car park and join the Princes Freeway.”
