Plane goes down in Aus
2005-05-07 10:18
Canberra - A plane carrying 15 people crashed in bad weather in Australia's remote north, probably killing all on board, rescue authorities said on Saturday.
The twin propellor Fairchild Metroliner had been due to arrive at Lockhart River, an Aboriginal community of 350 people in Queensland state, about midday local time (0200 GMT), Australian Search and Rescue spokesperson Tracey Jiggins said.
It's wreck burning in dense tropical forest was spotted from a search aircraft 11 kilometres northwest of the Lockhart River air strip late on Saturday, Jiggins said.
Rescuers had yet to reach the site, she said.
"It's impossible to say at this stage if there's been any survivors. It appears unlikely though," Jiggins said.
Two pilots and 13 passengers were aboard, she said.
The aircraft was en route from Bamaga, a community of 2 000 near the tip of the Cape York Peninsula, about 280 kilometres from Lockhart River, she said.
Three planes and two helicopters joined the search in the sparsely populated region, state police said.
- AP