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Three people remain missing and three have been airlifted to hospital after a sea plane plunged into the water off Western Australia.
The privately owned sea plane, which arrived from NSW days earlier, was carrying one pilot and six passengers when it crashed in Thomson Bay on Rottnest Island shortly after taking off about 4pm (7pm AEDT) today.
Police think the plane crashed into Phillip Rock, at the bay’s entrance.
Witnesses told 9News the aircraft stalled, rocking from side to side before the left wing hit the rock.
The plane could be seen half-submerged as water police and nearby boaties responded.
Police Commissioner Col Blanch said four people had been recovered from the water.
WA Police later said three of those people were airlifted to various hospitals with different degrees of serious injuries while the fourth was unharmed.
Two women in their 40s were among those seriously injured.
Dozens of holidaymakers saw the crash from the departing Rottnest Island ferry.
Premier Roger Cook said he was being briefed on the situation and would provide updates as more information arrived.
“The images we are seeing of an emergency unfolding off Rottnest Island are deeply concerning,” he said.
“My thoughts are with all those affected, and I want to thank our first responders who are attending to the crash site.”
The Swan River Seaplanes Cessna 208 Caravan 675 only arrived in Perth after being acquired from a Queensland company, according to a post on the company’s Instagram.
“Built in 2016, this airframe is currently registered to the Whitsunday Air Services Pty and made its way over from the eastern states, arriving in Perth on New Year’s Day,” the January 2 post welcoming the “latest addition to the @swanriverseaplanes fleet” read.
The photographer behind the image of the plane taxiing into the South Perth jetty earlier today posted an updated confirming it was the aircraft involved in the crash.
“My hopes and prayers are with all six passengers and crew,” Kian Cartmell said.
Swan Rivers Seaplanes, which is run by Dean Kingi and WA Tourism commissioner Kristy Bailey, has been contacted for comment.
The plane has carried out dozens of short trips around Perth and Rottnest Island since arriving in WA, according to flight-tracking website Flightradar24.
A series of much longer flights were tracked days earlier on the way from Bankstown, via Broken Hill in NSW, Kimba in SA and Cundeelee in WA.
An investigation will be launched into the crash.
