[Peetwo]

GippsAero Airvan 8 skydiving crash Sweden - RIP 

Via Nine News digital:

Nine dead after plane full of parachutists crashes in Sweden


By Associated Press
8:14am Jul 15, 2019

Swedish officials said a small plane carrying parachutists crashed in northern Sweden soon after takeoff on Sunday, and all nine people on board were killed.

The accident took place a little after 2pm local time on Storsandskar island.

Swedish media quoted witnesses reporting that some of the parachutists were seen trying to jump off the plane just before the crash.

An image from a Twitter video by which captured the crash (Twitter)

Swedish airport authority Swedavia said the crashed aircraft was a GippsAero GA8 Airvan, an Australian-made single-engine plane popular with parachutists, that took off from Umea Airport.

The cause of the crash is not yet known.

"I can confirm that all those aboard the plane have died," Region Vasterbotten municipality spokeswoman Gabriella Bandling said.



A GippsAero GA8 Airvan, similar to the plane that crashed. (AAP)

One witness told Swedish broadcaster SVT she heard a loud noise from above before she saw the plane going straight down and crashing into the island.

Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven expressed "great sadness" over the accident in a statement to Swedish news agency TT.

He sent condolences to the families of the victims and said the government would stay in close touch with officials probing the crash "as it is important to investigate the cause".

© Nine Digital Pty Ltd 2019

& via the Oz:

Aussies to help investigate deadly Swedish plane crash



Wreckage from the aircraft is seen in bush on Storsandskar Island outside Umea, Sweden, on Monday July 15, 2019. The Gipps Aero Airvan aircraft with nine parajumpers on board crashed with no survivors. Picture: Erik Abel/TT via AP

ROBYN IRONSIDE
AVIATION WRITER
@ironsider

4:55PM JULY 16, 2019
2 COMMENTS

Australian authorities will assist with a Swedish investigation into a plane crash that killed nine people, due to the involvement of a Victorian-made aircraft.

The single engine GippsAero GA-8 Airvan, popular with skydiving companies, was carrying eight parachutists and a pilot when it crashed shortly after takeoff from Umea Airport on Sunday.

Some of those on board were seen trying to leap from the plane just before the crash on Storsandskar Island, about two kilometres from Umea.

The cause of the crash has not been determined, and the Swedish Accident Investigation Authority has requested assistance from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.

It is understood the ATSB will be an accredited representative to the investigation, and act as a conduit between the Swedish investigators and the Australian manufacturer, Gippsland Aeronautics.

The GA-8 has a sound safety record in Australia, operating fatality-free since 2008 when a plane crashed on the eastern side of the Napier Peninsula in the Northern Territory, killing the pilot. His body and the main wreckage of the aircraft were never found.

Since then, the ATSB has investigated 15 incidents and accidents involving the GippsAero GA-8 but none were found to be related to design issues.

Organisational development manager at GippsAero, Lloyd Clarke, said they stood ready to support the Swedish Government and Swedish authorities in their investigation.

“As yet no request has been made,” Mr Clarke said, adding that he was deeply saddened by the loss of lives.

Based in Victoria’s LaTrobe Valley, GippsAero is owned by Indian conglomerate Mahindra Aerospace.

The Australian arm employs 110 people and has produced about 260 GA-8 Airvans, 240 of which remain in operation around the world.

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority is monitoring the investigation.

And finally the chilling footage of this tragic accident - from City News Toronto, via YouTube:

MTF...P2