WA: Police hope to recovere crash victims' bodies tonight

AAP General News (Australia)
02-14-2008
WA: Police hope to recovere crash victims' bodies tonight

PERTH, Feb 14 AAP - Police today hope to recover the bodies of two people killed in
a mid-air collision between a helicopter and a light aircraft in a remote part of Western
Australia.

The R44 Helicopter and Piper fixed wing aircraft collided last night while culling
feral goats in the rugged Kennedy Range National Park in WA's Gascoyne region, about 150km
east of Carnarvon, authorities said.

Two aboard the aircraft died but the helicopter's crew of two escaped uninjured, and
have been flown out via helicopter, police said.

"They have been assessed by ambulance staff at Gascoyne Junction, found to have no
injuries and released," a police statement said.

"The bodies of the pilot and passenger in the Piper are still at the scene.

"Police hope to be able to recover the bodies late this afternoon or early tomorrow."

Forensic Police from Geraldton have arrived in Carnarvon ready to make their way to
the crash scene.

A police helicopter was also expected to arrive in Gascoyne Junction later this afternoon.

Carnarvon police were informed of the crash by a helicopter pilot at 7.50pm (WDT) yesterday.

The caller reported two people were dead and a third seriously injured, but the call
then fell out and police were unable to again contact the pilot on his satellite phone.

A flight last night by Australian search and rescue organisation (AusSAR) detected
an emergency beacon at the crash site, which is in an area inaccessible to cars.

A rescue helicopter, with two pilots, two paramedics and one police officer on board,
left Carnarvon at 7am today and arrived at the crash site about 8am local time.

Both aircraft had been involved in a joint feral goat control program by the Department
of Environment and Conservation and the Department of Agriculture.

It is understood that the pilots of the helicopter and the plane were under contract.

AAP lk/jlw/

KEYWORD: CRASH BODIES

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