Shellharbour Airport plane crash near Wollongong leaves three dead

Three people were killed when a light aircraft crashed and caught fire south of Wollongong on Saturday morning.

NSW Police said in a statement that the plane crashed at Shellharbour Airport shortly after takeoff at around 10am. A fire broke out in the plane that crashed to the ground.

Photos taken from the scene show fire trucks on the track pouring water on the blackened rubble, and ambulances and police teams nearby. The plane appeared to be nearly destroyed, with the tail being the only part of the plane that was not burned.

The airport was hosting a day on Saturday when the local aviation museum was open and many historic aircraft were flown; However, a museum representative said that the crash was not linked to their events and that the plane was privately owned.

Police said the Australian Transport Safety Bureau had been notified of the incident.

More to come.