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Plane Hits Ferris Wheel in Australia

Oct. 1, 2011 9:06am Scott Baker

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — An ultra-light plane crashed into a Ferris wheel at a rural festival in eastern Australia on Saturday, trapping two children on the ride and two adults in the aircraft for hours. There were no serious injuries.

The Cheetah S200 carrying two men did not topple the Ferris wheel when it hit the frame near the top on the first morning of an annual three-day festival at Old Bar, a coastal village 220 miles (350 kilometers) north of Sydney, New South Wales Rural Fire Service spokesman Ben Shepherd said.

Two children — a 9-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl — were trapped in a carriage at the top of the wheel near the wrecked plane for 90 minutes, police said.

The 52-year-old pilot and his 32-year-old passenger were trapped inside the mangled aircraft more than 30 feet (10 meters) above ground for almost three hours, police said.

Shepherd said rescuers used a crane to free the four.

“Thankfully, everyone was taken down and were able to walk away from it,” Shepherd said.

The pilot, Paul Cox, said he did not see the Ferris wheel before his plane hit it.

“The next thing I knew, I was stopped inside the Ferris wheel,” he said. “I had no idea for a few minutes and I was just hoping no one got hurt.”

Witnesses said the Ferris wheel was full of children minutes before the crash. But because of impending rain, only five had dared to take the final ride, said a festival organizer, who gave his name only as Terry.

“The kids were fantastic,” said Brett Campbell, a paramedic at the scene. “They were so calm and so well-behaved and very brave. And so were the two gentlemen in the plane. They were just the best patients we could ever hope for, and the best thing about it, no one really had any injuries.”

Fizal Meah, a witness, said one of the children in a carriage below the area of impact was struck by debris and was left distraught but uninjured.

“Because the rain was stopping and starting, stopping and starting, it was almost empty,” Meah said.

Local resident Gary Jones said his 9-year-old twin sons were among the last to ride the Ferris wheel before the crash.

“It was a hell of a shock,” Jones said.

Police and air safety investigators were at the scene Saturday.

The plane had just taken off from a nearby airstrip when it crashed, Meah said.

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Comments (44)

mdavid
Posted on October 1, 2011 at 1:37pm
Oh my God I have to follow that link because you obviously don’t sound like a total plant!!!

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BOMUSTGO
Posted on October 1, 2011 at 12:55pm
Nice flying there Mate!

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- chazman
  Posted on October 1, 2011 at 3:35pm
  … fail …
  
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The_Sum_Total_Of_Progressivism_Is_Epic_Failure
Posted on October 1, 2011 at 12:54pm
Meh

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sarcasticus
Posted on October 1, 2011 at 12:41pm
Is that what they call a flyswatter in Australia?

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stop spending
Posted on October 1, 2011 at 12:13pm
Did he say “just get the damn kids out” ? SHEESH !

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COFemale
Posted on October 1, 2011 at 11:59am
Update: According to Breitbart he apparently was taking off and missed seeing the ferris wheel. The picture on Breitbart has is taken from a distance and it appears that the trees may have not played a factor, but this is only speculation as I can not see what is behind the photographer.

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COFemale
Posted on October 1, 2011 at 11:46am
If you all watched the video you will see that tree’s seemed to surrounding the ferris wheel. Secondly, with rain starting and stopping was this a factor. Now I am not that knowledgeable on Ultra-lights, but having seen a few in my life, is it possible a gust of wind could make it suddenly drop in altitude and with tree’s encompasing the ferris wheel cause the pilot not to see the ferris wheel?

Just asking?

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- 13th Imam
  Posted on October 1, 2011 at 12:01pm
  Buhller?? Buhller ???
  Any landing you walk away from is a good one.
  
  Report this comment
- Donald727
  Posted on October 2, 2011 at 2:15pm
  only if you can use the airplane again
  
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motherof18
Posted on October 1, 2011 at 11:27am
What a great photo to show the people in the plane and the kid on the ferris wheel too. Look at the metal on the Ferris wheel, it’s not much thicker than the metal of a shopping cart

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- Cat
  Posted on October 1, 2011 at 12:03pm
  @MOTHEROF18
  
  The Ferris wheel is a multidirectional triangulated trussed structure, intended to be lightweight.
  Believe it or not, it’s tough to knock one over, unless the critical supports are compromised.
  A Ferris wheel’s worst enemies are fire and gravity … rarely, lightweight aircraft ;)
  
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Cat
Posted on October 1, 2011 at 11:22am
Happy to see no one was seriously injured.
Guessing the headline should have been;

“Ferris Wheel Slames Into Low Flying Ultra-light Aircraft”

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jessieH
Posted on October 1, 2011 at 11:08am
Talk about flying blind! Did the pilot have his eyes closed?

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- squeaker
  Posted on October 1, 2011 at 3:58pm
  didn’t you see his Red-Tipped-Cane sticking out the front of the aircraft…?
  
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drago
Posted on October 1, 2011 at 10:59am
Like the girl that hit my f250 crew cab, “i didnt see you”. Guess not, since her cell phone was blocking her view…….

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drago
Posted on October 1, 2011 at 10:26am
Redneck aussie? “hey y’all, watch this” glad no one was hurt…..

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- drattastic
  Posted on October 1, 2011 at 12:21pm
  Fosters ,Australian for beer ,ga’day mate.
  
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Charles
Posted on October 1, 2011 at 10:00am
I think the only thing that kept the ‘passenger’ from lighting up the ‘pilot’ as they were hanging there was that the movement might jar their flotsam carriage loose to drop to the ground. “Didn’t see the Ferris wheel?” He was trying to buzz it and a little gust of wind knocked the plane into it. At least I hope o.O

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Al J Zira
Posted on October 1, 2011 at 9:51am
The guy can’t fly an ultra-lite don’t let him near piper cub. I’m guessing he loses his license.

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Cynic-clinic
Posted on October 1, 2011 at 9:33am
Altitude is one way to prevent hitting something that’s attached to the ground. Duh !

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- tradexpertbuysell
  Posted on October 1, 2011 at 9:48am
  Thank God everyone was spared.
  
  2nd thought: Had the pilot and passenger died I’m sure there would be endless speculation as to incident being a terrorist plot so thank God for that as well.
  
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- Favored93
  Posted on October 1, 2011 at 9:55am
  Guys …. we do not know what CAUSED the crash!! If ANY of the controls malfunctioned the pilot may not have been ABLE to crash in a less populated spot.
  I am a private pilot and from what I understand (and thankfully not through experience) facts about the causes come out later.
  On a side not you will NEVER catch me in an ultralight plane!!!! The weather has to be PERFECT to fly the damn things!
  
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- Viet Vet
  Posted on October 1, 2011 at 10:39am
  @Favored93
  
  Um…the pilot said he didn’t SEE the ferris wheel. Pilot error.
  
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bilorites
Posted on October 1, 2011 at 9:33am
CRIKEY!!! me plane just did a digiridoo on the faress wale

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- smylok
  Posted on October 1, 2011 at 6:01pm
  That was almost perfect!
  
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Divineliberty
Posted on October 1, 2011 at 9:28am
How in the heck do you not see a Farris wheel! hard to miss!

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- corbecket
  Posted on October 2, 2011 at 2:24am
  “How in the heck do you not see a Farris wheel!”
  
  It might be that the driver is a complete and utter moron. Remote as the possibility is to some, there are some pilots that shouldn’t be left alone with something more complex than a walking stick.
  
  I’ll wager we have a picture of one at the top of this thread.
  
  I made a tidy living at moving airborne metal about for 40 years, and not once did I find myself embedded in the side of a Ferris Wheel. In fact, I don’t recall that any of the folks I worked with had impacted amusement park rides of any sort. It surely would have come up in cockpit conversations, so I’m guessing this guy must have a calling of some sort.
  
  I’ll wager we have a picture of him at the top of this thread.
  
  Report this comment
Harold B
Posted on October 1, 2011 at 9:28am
Some days it is just not profitable to get up. But all is well the only fatality was an ultralight flight machine and a ferris wheel suffered slight damage

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FEARLESSLEADER
Posted on October 1, 2011 at 9:26am
He’s probably one of those line jumpers…There is an easier way to get on the ride…

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JustPeachy
Posted on October 1, 2011 at 9:23am
Thank God no one was hurt. :-)

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TxMadMac
Posted on October 1, 2011 at 9:18am
Sweet mercy !

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starman70
Posted on October 1, 2011 at 9:17am
WOW! A real miracle that no one was hurt.

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Devil Dog 7175
Posted on October 1, 2011 at 9:15am
I mean… Just… DAMN! Just glad all are OK.

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randy
Posted on October 1, 2011 at 9:14am
Time for a new pair of glasses dude……

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Secessionista
Posted on October 1, 2011 at 9:11am
He didn’t see the ferris wheel? Really?

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- jackbenimble09
  Posted on October 1, 2011 at 9:19am
  Thats what I was thinking. How does one NOT see something that big coming at them? At least no one was seriously hurt. Though if I were one of the kids there that day, I’d probably never get on another ferris wheel ever.
  
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