Horse dies after being hit by plane during attempted take-off

A 63-year-old man has been flown to the Royal Adelaide Hospital with serious head injuries, after the two-seater Jabiru recreational aircraft he was flying hit a horse and flipped onto its top during take-off, leaving the pilot with serious injuries. His passenger, a 56-year-old local woman, was not injured.

The horse involved in Sunday's light plane crash on South Australia's Yorke Peninsula had to be euthanized. The animal was struck by the plane as it was taking off at Brentwood just after 9am, suffering injuries.

Police yesterday said a vet was treating the horse for injuries, and several social media users took to Facebook to inquire about its condition.

"But I'm sorry to say that the horse didn't recover from its injuries and has had to be put down," Senior Constable Jen Cullinan told ABC Radio Adelaide.

"So sad news for everybody involved in that incident.

"I know a lot of people, certainly on socials, were concerned about the welfare of the horse."

Police have referred the crash to Recreational Aviation Australia.

Aircraft Information No 1:

Operator: Private Owner

Aircraft: Jabiru SP 2200

Registration: 19-4060

Serial Number: 540