A mid-air collision between two light aircraft near Belimbla Park in Sydney’s southwest has claimed the lives of three men, including experienced Qantas pilot Gary Criddle.
The tragic accident, occurring around midday on Saturday, involved a Cessna 182P Skylane registered VH-APN travelling from Cessnock (CES) to Wollongong (WOL) with two people onboard, and a Jabiru UL-450 ultra-light aircraft (19-4079) from The Oaks airfield carrying one person.
Witnesses reported seeing debris falling from the sky before both planes crashed in nearby bushland, with one aircraft catching fire upon impact. Emergency responders arrived swiftly, but the crash was deemed unsurvivable.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau is investigating the cause of the collision, which occurred in uncontrolled airspace. Criddle’s family and Qantas colleagues have paid tribute, remembering him as a beloved aviator, mentor, and adventurer whose loss will be deeply felt.
Qantas captain and a 60-year-old man have been named as two of the three victims of a light plane crash in Sydney's south-west.
Gary Criddle had flown for Qantas for 36 years and also spent 20 years in the Navy and Airforce, his family said, where he was a member of The… pic.twitter.com/6aqDUYZkoB
— Breaking Aviation News & Videos (@aviationbrk) October 27, 2024
Mid-air plane crash leaves three dead in Sydney
Local police said “nothing could be done” to save the passengers of two light planes which are understood to have collided and crashed before midday on Saturday at Belimbla Park, in Sydney’s Macarthur region. pic.twitter.com/CGf4k4SiEw
— T_CAS videos (@tecas2000) October 26, 2024
