A pilot has died after a light plane crashed into crocodile-infested waters in the Northern Territory.<\/p>\n
The light plane crashed with two passengers on board at Fogg Dam – a wetland 67km southwest of Darwin – at about 10.20am on Sunday.<\/p>\n
‘The Search and Rescue section coordinated a response and a CareFlight Helicopter was dispatched to the area,’ police said.<\/p>\n
A 29-year-old female passenger was winched from the scene by helicopter and transported to Royal Darwin Hospital for assessment. She was not injured.<\/p>\n
A 63-year-old man was found dead inside the aircraft.<\/p>\n
Police established a crime scene and launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash.<\/p>\n
The NT News reported witnesses spotted the plane flying at a low altitude at about 9am before allegedly crashing 50m from the dam wall.<\/p>\n
Fogg Dam was built on the traditional lands of the Limilngan-Wulna people in the 1950s to provide irrigation for the Humpty Doo Rice Project.<\/p>\n However, the agricultural scheme failed, with the dam then becoming a refuge for wildlife, according to the NT Government’s website.<\/p>\n The area is a haven for saltwater crocodiles and other wildlife including pythons, birds and freshwater turtles.<\/p>\n