In short:
A gyrocopter has crashed into the Quorn Jockey Club bar in South Australia’s Mid North, missing workers and children.
Two electricians rushed to remove the pilot, who suffered non life-threatening injuries, from the gyrocopter.
What’s next?
The club is setting up a temporary bar to accommodate the community while the main building is out of action.
A gyrocopter narrowly missed children and workers when it crashed into a bar at a racecourse in South Australia’s Mid North.
Quorn Jockey Club president Dean Montgomerie told ABC Radio the light aircraft hit a vehicle and flipped onto the roof of the bar in front of onlookers on Wednesday.
Mr Montgomerie said the the aircraft crashed near children who were playing in the area and electricians who were working in the shed next door.
The crash pierced the roof of the building and left debris strewn across the crash site.
“He’s come down a bit low and he’s clipped a ute that was in a parking bay off the racecourse there and flipped and went straight into our bar, into the roof of our bar,” he said.
“People were in shock and there was debris everywhere and the pilot was still with us at that time and an ambulance just rocked up there.
“The fuel just caught alight … It was lucky that the fuel didn’t explode.”
‘We just used our hands’
Electricians Eric Brereton and Lachlan Finlay ran to the scene of the light aircraft crash to extinguish flames.
“We were just wiring up in the shed when we heard a big bang,” Mr Brereton said.
“We ran outside and looked behind the shed and there he was on the ground.
“Lachie was the first one to pat them down, get them out.
“We just used our hands.”
Mr Finlay said he unbuckled the man from the seat and dragged him out of the aircraft.
“Didn’t really think, just wanted to help him I suppose,” he said.
“There was a lot of shock, we initially thought the worst too, which wasn’t real good.”
SA Police said the 33-year-old pilot from the state’s Mid North suffered serious but non life-threatening injuries and was taken to hospital by ambulance.
Mr Montgomerie said the bar has made arrangements to continue operating for members of the community.
“The roof is damaged and that but we’ve got other things in place … we’re a little bit lucky that was all the damage,” he said.
“We’re good to go out and clean up the mess this morning.
“Our marquees … are coming today so we’ll make a makeshift bar up and we’ll be able to handle that OK.”
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