One person winched from plane wreck, taken to hospital after crash near Broome

Air crash investigators will fly to Broome after a light plane crashed into mangroves off the coast on Thursday morning.

Police have confirmed they were notified about the Cessna crash in shallow waters at Fisherman Bend in Roebuck about 11.25am.

St John WA responded to the incident and said they helped a total of seven patients – including two pilots and five passengers.

Multiple emergency service crews also attended, along with police. It is a “difficult retrieval” involving marine safety crews.

One person reportedly sustained non-life-threatening head injuries, and has been winched from the wreck and taken to Broome Hospital for treatment.

It is understood the crash happened shortly after take-off from Broome Airport, with the plane only getting to about 600 feet in the air before coming down.

The ATSB said the twin turboprop aircraft’s engine appeared to have encountered a loss of power, causing the crash.

The area where the plane crashed is 15 kilometres to the east of the town centre, and is bordered by shrub and mangroves along the coast.

An Australian Transport Safety Bureau spokesperson said a full investigation is under way.

“The ATSB is deploying a team of transport safety investigators, specialising in aircraft operations and engineering, and accident survivability, to the accident site from its Perth, Canberra, and Brisbane offices,” a spokesperson said.

Investigators have asked anyone with footage to send it to them, and said they will be site-mapping and recovering any aircraft flight recorders to examine.

They will also be looking at CCTV footage from the nearby Town Beach, as well as pilot and aircraft maintenance records, and weather information.

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