Witnesses have described the terrifying moment a plane crashed into the Swan River in front of their eyes while they awaited the Skyshow display on the Perth foreshore.
Pilot and owner of the plane Peter Lynch, 52, and his partner Endah Aricakrawati, 30, died when the 1948-built Grumman Mallard plane crashed into the river, shocking thousands of people on the foreshore and on boats on the river nearby.
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Two dead after plane crashes into Swan River
Two people have died after a plane crashed into Perth's Swan River in front of thousands of people gathered for the Australia Day Skyworks display. Vision courtesy Seven News.
The City of Perth Skyshow event - billed as the most expensive in the country - was cancelled in the wake of the tragedy.
Acting WA Police Commissioner Stephen Brown was at the foreshore event preparing for a live television cross when he heard mass commotion.
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"People around me were screaming out and turning their heads," he told Radio 6PR on Friday.Â
"The plane was in the water .. within seconds the emergency services were there."
Other witnesses saw the vintage seaplane drop slowly into the river.
"I was watching the show and all I saw was the plane just nose dive into the water," Natasha Eyles said.
"As it hit the water you could the plane break into two."
Another onlooker, Craig Newill, was with his family when the plane went down.
"We were so stunned and shocked," he said. "We could see him stall. His wings were pointing to the sky and to the water and we thought 'this is not good' then we saw it break into two pieces."
Witness Lloyd Douglas told ABC News he was on a nearby boat when the plane smashed into the water.
"As he banked left he seemed to go further to the left ... and lose forward momentum and lost altitude fairly quickly," he said.
"My concern was that he'd landed in amongst all the small boats up at the east end of the Perth water.
"I don't think — looking through binoculars — that he did hit other boats.
"It did hit the water with a fairly decent force, and goodness, if it had another boat in the water or something it would be a tragedy."
Mr Douglas said rescuers raced to the plane and were climbing over the wings shortly after it crashed, trying to extract the people inside.
He said it took several minutes for people to reach the plane, and it was nearby revellers who were first able to get to it.
After the fireworks were cancelled, police urged people to leave the city area and those planning to come into the city were asked to stay away.
@7NewsPerth Seaplane crash on Swan River pic.twitter.com/MZH37H6yb7
— Meaghan Hill (@mimi1596) January 26, 2017
#Plane crashes into the Swan River. Horrible sight. Filmed by Mark Annett-Stuart. #AustraliaDay #Perth pic.twitter.com/MPI5wRSxeO
— Jorden Teo (@JordenTeo) January 26, 2017