<simon>
Airman 1st Class
A light plane that crashed, killing its pilot, after a mid-air collision in Melbourne's south yesterday was "close to vertical" when it hit the ground, authorities say.
Student pilot Akash Ananth was going solo for his first time when his aircraft struck another aircraft
Air safety investigators this morning called on residents living near the scene of yesterday's tragic mid-air collision over Cheltenham to report any wreckage they find.
Residents have long been calling for the airport to be shifted elsewhere, following previous crashes including a mid-air collision that killed five people in 1970, and two fatalities since 2000.
Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) investigator in charge Michael Watson said it was clear the aircraft flown by 24-year-old trainee pilot Akash Ananth had descended at a very steep angle.
"It's fairly obvious the aircraft went in close to vertical. It was a very hard impact," he said.
Pieces of wreckage were strewn within several hundred metres of the site where Mr Ananth was killed when the Cessna 150 he was flying crashed, Mr Watson said.
He said investigators needed to inspect the wreckage to find out if anything on the aircraft was missing, out of alignment or not working.
"At the moment, we've got most of the wreckage but there are a few bits that have been found in the vicinity where the aircraft collided," Mr Watson told reporters out the front of the crash site in Silver Street, Cheltenham.
"If anyone finds any bits around their houses or on the ground, if they could call the ATSB on 1800 020 616.
"We want to find the bits but more importantly we want to find out where those bits landed because then we can reconstruct from the point of impact backwards which is up in the air."
The investigation will also look into communication between the trainee pilots and air controllers and also communication between the two planes.
"It's just one of the many aspects we will be looking at," Mr Watson said. Continued...
Source: The Age
Student pilot Akash Ananth was going solo for his first time when his aircraft struck another aircraft
Air safety investigators this morning called on residents living near the scene of yesterday's tragic mid-air collision over Cheltenham to report any wreckage they find.
Residents have long been calling for the airport to be shifted elsewhere, following previous crashes including a mid-air collision that killed five people in 1970, and two fatalities since 2000.
Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) investigator in charge Michael Watson said it was clear the aircraft flown by 24-year-old trainee pilot Akash Ananth had descended at a very steep angle.
"It's fairly obvious the aircraft went in close to vertical. It was a very hard impact," he said.
Pieces of wreckage were strewn within several hundred metres of the site where Mr Ananth was killed when the Cessna 150 he was flying crashed, Mr Watson said.
He said investigators needed to inspect the wreckage to find out if anything on the aircraft was missing, out of alignment or not working.
"At the moment, we've got most of the wreckage but there are a few bits that have been found in the vicinity where the aircraft collided," Mr Watson told reporters out the front of the crash site in Silver Street, Cheltenham.
"If anyone finds any bits around their houses or on the ground, if they could call the ATSB on 1800 020 616.
"We want to find the bits but more importantly we want to find out where those bits landed because then we can reconstruct from the point of impact backwards which is up in the air."
The investigation will also look into communication between the trainee pilots and air controllers and also communication between the two planes.
"It's just one of the many aspects we will be looking at," Mr Watson said. Continued...
Source: The Age
