Air crash investigators have stated that it will take time to determine what caused a training flight to veer sharply and crash into a hangar at Parafield Airport on Wednesday.
A student pilot and an instructor lost their lives when their Diamond DA-42 twin-engine aircraft crashed into a hangar shortly after takeoff, igniting a massive fire that destroyed multiple planes and left several people on the ground with serious injuries.
Investigation Underway
Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell, who is leading the investigation at the scene, described the situation as "horrific" as teams begin sifting through the wreckage.
"Very soon after take-off, it has pulled very sharply to the left, and it's continued all the way around about 180 degrees, not very high off the ground, not in the air for very long, and it's impacted the building," he told Sunrise.
Mitchell noted that investigators are still in the early stages of piecing together what went wrong, but the extensive damage, including a significant post-impact fire, will complicate the investigation.
"It will be quite a job for us today as we start to pick through that scene to really understand what's gone wrong so early in what we know is a training flight," he said.
"The extent of damage was very extensive. And that post-impact fire will have done a lot of damage to the aircraft itself as well and to anything that's on board."
Evidence Collection
Investigators are reviewing video footage, eyewitness accounts, and recorded information to establish the sequence of events.
"We do have video footage, we do have eyewitness statements, there are a number of things we are already starting to go through to understand the sequence of events that led to such a tragic outcome yesterday afternoon," Mitchell said.
The aircraft had been conducting circuits in the area before the crash, but key details about what happened in the moments before impact remain unclear.
Injuries and Response
Several people injured in the hangar were taken to hospitals across Adelaide, with some suffering serious burns and others treated for smoke inhalation.
Police are expected to provide further updates on the condition of those injured later today, as investigators continue their work at the site.
