Ex-Military Plane Crashes After Mid-Air Collision In Australia

(MENAFN- IANS) Sydney, Nov 19 (IANS) Two former military planes on a training flight collided on Sunday over the Mornington Peninsula in Australia, sending one plummeting into the water, local media reported.

One plane crashed into the ocean about 12 km off the coast of Mount Martha while the other plane made it back to its base after the disaster struck about 1:45 p.m. local time (0245 GMT), The Herald Sun reported.

Search and rescue crews were scouring the waters in Mount Martha, located about 50 km southeast of Melbourne, Xinhua news agency reported.

Australia's maritime authorities confirmed two people were on board each of the Viper S-211 Marchetti light aircraft.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) "understands there were two people on board each aircraft: one aircraft landed safely at Essendon airfield, while the other crashed into the water in Port Phillip," it said.

Three AMSA rescue helicopters remained at the scene late into Sunday afternoon and a number of Victoria Water Police boats, coastguard and jet skis were seen in the waters, Xinhua news agency reported quoting ABC News.

--IANS

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