A light plane has crashed at a golf course at Heatherton in Melbourne, trapping the pilot. The aircraft, a Piper PA-32 Cherokee , sustained substantial damage subsequent to the noseover during an apparent forced landing to open field terrain shortly after takeoff from Moorabbin Airport (MBW/YMMB), Victoria. Victoria Police confirmed the pilot was the sole occupant. "It is believed the light plane crashed into trees shortly after take-off from the Airport just after midday." Ambulance Victoria said "a man in his 50s was taken by road to The Alfred hospital in a stable condition". He was admitted with minor upper and lower body injuries. Witness Abel Teke said he was driving a truck out of a nearby quarry when he looked up through his windshield and noticed the plane. "I thought to myself, 'Jeez, that's a bit too low'," he said. "And then next minute, it clipped a tree and dived nose first, straight into the ground." Mr Teke and his workmates then called emergency services and rushed to the scene to help the pilot. "I was worried a little bit because there was smoke coming out, but we got the fire extinguisher," he said. He said they kept speaking to the pilot to keep him awake and stopped him moving about before paramedics arrived, in case he had suffered spinal injuries. Mr Teke said he had never witnessed a plane crash before and it was "a bit of a traumatic thing to see". "Hopefully he gets better real soon," he said.
Victoria Police said the cause of the crash was not yet known and the investigation was ongoing.
Aircraft Information:Owner / Operator: Blue Demon Aviation
Aircraft: Piper PA-32-300 Cherokee Six
Registration: VH-CWK
Serial Number: 32-7840052
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