Husband and wife among 3 killed in 'gruesome' plane crash that sparked huge fireball

Tragedy struck at an airport on Saturday after a plane crashed just seconds after takeoff. Three friends have died after their small private aircraft lost altitude and caught fire as it smashed onto the runway in New South Wales, Australia.

Andrew Connors, 55, and his wife Julianne, 54, have been named by local media as two of the three people who tragically died. The third victim is said to be their close friend, 73-year-old Colin McLaughlin, according to local reports. The couple leave behind two children in their 20s. The crash - which has been described by the chief inspector as "gruesome" and "horrific" - occurred at Shellharbour, in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, on Saturday morning at about 10am local time. It is understood that the six-seat, single-engine Piper Cherokee Lance plane stalled and rapidly lost altitude, with its nose crashing into the runway and catching fire.

Horrific images from the scene show the wrecked aircraft on the runway, with only its blue-and-white tail remaining intact. Lake Illawarra Police District Chief Inspector Aaron Wunderlich told reporters the private plane was headed for Bathurst and that police have obtained CCTV footage of the crash.

Chief Inspector Wunderlich said: "I'd thank to thank the emergency response... They did a fantastic job with what was really a horrific scene". He said that all police involved would be offered counselling as they attended "quite a gruesome scene".

"The plane has taken off on the tarmac and gone about 30 metres into the air. At that point, witnesses (said) the aircraft dipped with its left wing coming down and it contacted the tarmac," he added. "Unfortunately, the plane was engulfed."

Fire and Rescue NSW Inspector Andrew Barber told the ABC that a local fire unit, already at the airport, rushed to the scene. "However, due to the nature of fuel, the fuel exposure, the combustion of the fuel, the occupants had no chance of being saved," he added.

News.com.au reported that one close friend described Mr Connors as "one of those guys that just would do anything to help someone".

A spokesperson for the Australian Transport Safety Bureau said four transport safety investigators, who specialise in aircraft operations, maintenance and engineering, were at the airport investigating the incident.

"Investigators will conduct a range of evidence-gathering activities including site survey with a drone, wreckage examination, and recovery of any aircraft components for further examination at the ATSB's technical facilities in Canberra," they said. "Investigators will also seek to interview involved parties and witnesses, and collect relevant recorded information including flight tracking data, pilot and aircraft maintenance records, and weather information.

"The ATSB asks anyone with video footage of the aircraft prior to the accident to make contact via the witness form on our website: atsb.gov.au/witness at their earliest opportunity."