The incident occurred at about 11:25 am (local time) on March 19 in the Fisherman Bend area, in Roebuck Bay - a place famous for having many saltwater crocodiles. The plane crashed into shallow water near the shore, raising concerns about safety for those in distress.
Emergency forces, including police, medical, maritime rescue and fire departments, quickly arrived at the scene.
According to initial information, one person was injured but not life-threatening. A man in his 40s was taken to the hospital in Broome, while 6 others were examined on the spot and showed no signs of serious injury.
The Australian Transport Safety Board (ATSB) said the crashed aircraft was a Cessna 441 Conquest. According to initial reports, immediately after taking off from Broome Airport, the aircraft experienced engine power loss.
ATSB has launched an investigation and sent experts in operation, engineering and flight safety from Perth, Canberra and Broome to the scene. The investigation team will collect data, inspect the aircraft, interview the flight crew, passengers and witnesses, and analyze flight data, surveillance cameras and weather conditions.
A witness said he saw the plane flying unusually low before disappearing behind the mangrove forest area. The Fisherman Bend area is a sandbar about 500 m long, surrounded by mangrove forests - a typical habitat for saltwater crocodiles and located in Broome's crocodile control area.
The incident is being further investigated, in the context that this area inherently contains many natural risks, especially for tourists and small-scale aviation operations.
