22-year-old man dies in light plane crash in South Australia’s far north, another seriously injured in separate crash

Police have confirmed that a 22-year-old man has died in a light plane crash in South Australia’s far north.

The man was the pilot and sole occupant of the aircraft.

Police and emergency services responded to reports of the crash near Mulgathing at about 9:30am.

The location is the site of a sheep station about 700 kilometres north of Adelaide, and about 200 kilometres south-west of Coober Pedy.

Major Crash Investigators and Forensic Crime Scene officers, as well as officers from the Far North Local Service Area, attended the scene.

Safework SA has been notified and police will prepare a report for the coroner.

“The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has launched a transport safety investigation into the collision with terrain of a Cessna 172 during mustering operations at Mulgathing, in rural South Australia, on Thursday morning,” an ATSB spokesperson said in a statement.

Two incidents in one day

Emergency services also responded to a second incident involving a light plane on Thursday afternoon.

Initial reports suggested a pilot had suffered minor injuries at a property at Evelyn Downs, 170km north of Coober Pedy.

Police and emergency services received a call for help at about 2pm.

“Today, RFDS teams attended a patient at Evelyn Downs Station in Far North SA, following reports of a light plane crash – the second aircraft incident in the region today,” an RFDS spokesperson said.

“The RFDS Remote Area Clinic team, based at Marla, responded to the patient at the scene, before transferring the patient to an RFDS aeromedical crew bound for Adelaide.

“The adult male patient is in a serious but stable condition, and will be taken to the Royal Adelaide Hospital for further assessment and treatment.”