Plane hits ferris wheel at Old Bar near Taree
 

A real show stopper, I bet!:p

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/new...-1226154891448

Strong ferris wheel!
 

Here's a better photo:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-10-0...stival/3204934

That's one strong ferris wheel!

I have just been checking old Old Bar on Google Earth and matching it with the location of the amusement rides for the Old Bar Festival as detailed on their website and some of the photos. It appears that the ferris wheel is situated approx 130m off the end of the runway and 22m off the centreline (at best). That seems like a pretty small margin for error.

Absolutely crazy (although aircraft were probably assumed to have a reasonable climb performance)! And how lucky that the gondola dislodged by the aircraft's impact was unoccupied. :(

An image on the news I just saw of the airstrip showed a white cross on the strip. That indicates the runway is unserviceable. One has to wonder what they were doing there....

If the aircraft was already in trouble, I don't think white crosses would stop them from attempting a landing.

My impression was the plane had just taken of from the strip , not trying to land

The original story suggests it was trying to land, and other reports have said the plane 'didn't sound right'. But as always, eyewitness accounts can change from one media outlet to another, and from one day to the next.

Some good info here including a couple of videos.