Orange light plane crashes at runway, pilot and instructor suffer critical burns
An ambulance transported the patients to a helicopter after the crash.
ABC NEWS: JOANNA WOODBURN
A pilot and instructor are in a critical condition after a light plane crashed at Orange airport, in western New South Wales.
The aircraft was doing circuits when it crashed on the northern side of the runway shortly after 7:00pm and burst into flames on impact.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) confirmed the Cirrus SR-22 aircraft had been conducting a training flight with two people on board.
A man and a woman, both aged in their 40s, suffered critical burns when the small four-seater plane crashed.
The pair have been airlifted to Royal North Shore Hospital.
NSW Ambulance acting duty operations manager, Jason Speight, said the pair had been practicing take off and landing procedures when the crash occurred.
They had suffered burns to their arms, legs, scalp and airways and possible fractures.
"Both patients were conscious when they were removed from the aircraft and have been intubated for transport down to Sydney," he said.
Mr Speight said first responders where at the scene within 15 minutes of the crash.
"Ambulance dispatched five crews including a retrieval team and a doctor, with also police and fire securing the site," he said.
He said the pair had been unable to tell authorities what happened in the moments before the crash.
"It is a sad day for the families that this would happen and all of our agencies responded in a prompt time and we are grateful [for that]," he said.
Mr Speight said the relationship between the patients is unclear at this stage.
"I'm unsure if they're related, but I believe that patients are between their 40s and 50s," he said.
He said the female patient sustained more severe injuries than the male patient.
In a statement, the ATSB said it was investigating the "collision-with-terrain" incident, with investigators expected to arrive at the scene this morning.
"Once on site, investigators will examine the wreckage, gather any available records and interview any witnesses," the statement said.
"Should a critical safety issue be identified during the course of the investigation, the ATSB will immediately notify relevant parties."
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