Light plane crash

By Dion Teasdale
A PILOT was lucky to escape with his life after the light plane he was flying crashed and burst into flames at Coldstream Airport.
The pilot was test flying a two-seater Cobra Arrow kit plane when the accident occurred shortly after 11am on Wednesday, 7 December.
The plane ran off the runway after a low approach and crashed through a wire fence.
The pilot, John Hayden, 62, from Red Hill in the ACT, managed to free himself from the aircraft as it burst into flames.
Metropolitan Ambulance Service spokeswoman Liana Cross said Mr Hayden was air lifted by helicopter to The Alfred.
“He sustained partial thickness burns to his hands and face and was in a stable condition,” she said.
Fire crews from Lilydale, Coldstream and Gruyere were called to extinguish the burning plane and police and SES volunteers from Lilydale also attended.
Tom Wickers, the manager of Cobra Aviations, the company that designed and built the kit plane, said the plane, valued at more than $110,000, was destroyed in the accident.
“Planes can be replaced, but people can’t be, so we are pleased the pilot was able to get out before he was more seriously injured,” he said.