Pilot Critically Injured as Aircraft Crashes During Avalon Airshow Aerobatic Performance
An aircraft lost control and crashed during an aerobatic performance at the Avalon International Airshow near Geelong on Friday afternoon, leaving the pilot in critical condition.
The incident occurred around 5:15 PM while the Sky Aces Formation Aerobatic Team was performing in front of a large crowd. The single-seat biplane was executing acrobatic maneuvers when it failed to recover from a loop and slammed into the tarmac, causing gasps from spectators.
Emergency services rushed to the scene, and the pilot, believed to be in his 50s, was airlifted to The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne with serious upper and lower body injuries. Victoria Police confirmed that the pilot was the sole occupant of the aircraft and that the crash happened a significant distance from spectators, with no reports of further injuries.
Ambulance Victoria dispatched an air ambulance, while onlookers described the dramatic crash. A witness named Glenn told 3AW that four planes were flying together when one split off. “The plane on its own was doing a loop but didn’t pull out in time and slammed into the ground,” he recalled.
Another spectator, Jeff, explained that during the first loop, the plane appeared to be flying dangerously close to the ground. However, on the second loop, it crashed. “They got the pilot out and performed CPR,” he added.
Eyewitnesses on social media also reported that the aircraft, identified as a Paul Bennet aerobatic plane, may have been too low during the maneuver. Some noted that the pilot’s survival might have been aided by the fact that the aircraft was nearly level with the ground at impact.
Following the crash, the remainder of the Avalon Airshow has been canceled as investigations continue into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
