Plane Hits Ferris Wheel in Australia
- Posted on October 1, 2011 at 9:06am by
Scott Baker
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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 1:37pmOh my God I have to follow that link because you obviously don’t sound like a total plant!!!
Report Post »BOMUSTGO
Posted on October 1, 2011 at 12:55pmNice flying there Mate!
Report Post »chazman
Posted on October 1, 2011 at 3:35pm… fail …
Report Post »The_Sum_Total_Of_Progressivism_Is_Epic_Failure
Posted on October 1, 2011 at 12:54pmMeh
Report Post »sarcasticus
Posted on October 1, 2011 at 12:41pmIs that what they call a flyswatter in Australia?
Report Post »stop spending
Posted on October 1, 2011 at 12:13pmDid he say “just get the damn kids out” ? SHEESH !
Report Post »COFemale
Posted on October 1, 2011 at 11:59amUpdate: 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.
Report Post »COFemale
Posted on October 1, 2011 at 11:46amIf 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?
Report Post »13th Imam
Posted on October 1, 2011 at 12:01pmBuhller?? Buhller ???
Report Post »Any landing you walk away from is a good one.
Donald727
Posted on October 2, 2011 at 2:15pmonly if you can use the airplane again
Report Post »motherof18
Posted on October 1, 2011 at 11:27amWhat 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
Report Post »Cat
Posted on October 1, 2011 at 12:03pm@MOTHEROF18
The Ferris wheel is a multidirectional triangulated trussed structure, intended to be lightweight.
Report Post »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 ;)
Cat
Posted on October 1, 2011 at 11:22amHappy to see no one was seriously injured.
Guessing the headline should have been;
“Ferris Wheel Slames Into Low Flying Ultra-light Aircraft”
Report Post »jessieH
Posted on October 1, 2011 at 11:08amTalk about flying blind! Did the pilot have his eyes closed?
Report Post »squeaker
Posted on October 1, 2011 at 3:58pmdidn’t you see his Red-Tipped-Cane sticking out the front of the aircraft…?
Report Post »drago
Posted on October 1, 2011 at 10:59amLike the girl that hit my f250 crew cab, “i didnt see you”. Guess not, since her cell phone was blocking her view…….
Report Post »drago
Posted on October 1, 2011 at 10:26amRedneck aussie? “hey y’all, watch this” glad no one was hurt…..
Report Post »drattastic
Posted on October 1, 2011 at 12:21pmFosters ,Australian for beer ,ga’day mate.
Report Post »Charles
Posted on October 1, 2011 at 10:00amI 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
Report Post »Al J Zira
Posted on October 1, 2011 at 9:51amThe guy can’t fly an ultra-lite don’t let him near piper cub. I’m guessing he loses his license.
Report Post »Cynic-clinic
Posted on October 1, 2011 at 9:33amAltitude is one way to prevent hitting something that’s attached to the ground. Duh !
Report Post »tradexpertbuysell
Posted on October 1, 2011 at 9:48amThank 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.
Report Post »Favored93
Posted on October 1, 2011 at 9:55amGuys …. 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.
Report Post »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!
Viet Vet
Posted on October 1, 2011 at 10:39am@Favored93
Um…the pilot said he didn’t SEE the ferris wheel. Pilot error.
Report Post »bilorites
Posted on October 1, 2011 at 9:33amCRIKEY!!! me plane just did a digiridoo on the faress wale
Report Post »smylok
Posted on October 1, 2011 at 6:01pmThat was almost perfect!
Report Post »Divineliberty
Posted on October 1, 2011 at 9:28amHow in the heck do you not see a Farris wheel! hard to miss!
Report Post »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 Post »Harold B
Posted on October 1, 2011 at 9:28amSome 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
Report Post »FEARLESSLEADER
Posted on October 1, 2011 at 9:26amHe’s probably one of those line jumpers…There is an easier way to get on the ride…
Report Post »JustPeachy
Posted on October 1, 2011 at 9:23amThank God no one was hurt. :-)
Report Post »TxMadMac
Posted on October 1, 2011 at 9:18amSweet mercy !
Report Post »starman70
Posted on October 1, 2011 at 9:17amWOW! A real miracle that no one was hurt.
Report Post »Devil Dog 7175
Posted on October 1, 2011 at 9:15amI mean… Just… DAMN! Just glad all are OK.
Report Post »randy
Posted on October 1, 2011 at 9:14amTime for a new pair of glasses dude……
Report Post »Secessionista
Posted on October 1, 2011 at 9:11amHe didn’t see the ferris wheel? Really?
Report Post »jackbenimble09
Posted on October 1, 2011 at 9:19amThats 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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