Berrima, Australia: A pilot suffered critical injuries after a light aircraft crashed into a paddock in the Southern Highlands region of New South Wales on Thursday morning, triggering a large-scale emergency response and an ongoing investigation into the cause of the accident.
Emergency services were called to Medway Road in Berrima at approximately 7:45–7:50 am on April 16, 2026, following reports that a small aircraft had gone down in an open field. Responding crews, including police, Fire and Rescue NSW, NSW Ambulance, the State Emergency Service (SES), and the Rural Fire Service, arrived to find a severely damaged recreational plane with its sole occupant trapped inside the wreckage.
The aircraft has been identified as a Hornet STOL ultralight, a small fixed-wing aluminium recreational plane. Initial information indicates the aircraft came down under unknown circumstances, with no immediate indication of the cause.
The pilot, a man believed to be in his 50s, was trapped inside the wreckage “for some time” before firefighters were able to extricate him in a complex rescue operation.
Paramedics treated the man at the scene for significant face and leg injuries before he was airlifted by helicopter to Liverpool Hospital. Authorities confirmed he remains in critical condition.
The crash prompted a substantial multi-agency emergency deployment. Fire and Rescue NSW dispatched at least five units, including specialised HAZMAT crews, who worked to isolate a minor fuel leak and mitigate the risk of fire at the crash site. NSW Ambulance deployed multiple crews along with two helicopters, while police and other emergency services secured the area and assisted in the rescue effort.
Aerial footage from the scene showed the aircraft described as a yellow plane with red markings lying heavily damaged in a paddock as emergency personnel worked around the wreckage.
New South Wales Police have launched an investigation into the incident, and aviation authorities have been notified. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) confirmed it is aware of the crash, although it typically investigates recreational aircraft incidents only in exceptional circumstances.
At this stage, the circumstances leading up to the crash remain unclear, and no further details have been released regarding the flight’s origin, intended destination, or weather conditions at the time of the incident.
