The joiners in the power lines were the only evidence that a small plane had hit them and crashed in a field at the southern end of Launceston Airport, killing six members of Victoria’s Lyndale Football Club.
That was 30 years ago, but for some of the group of 20 or so gathered on the site last Sunday, they could picture the scene with such clarity in their mind that they broke down upon arrival.
Ken and Keverall Cunningham
Among them was crash survivor Ken Stewart, who was able to meet the man who helped care for him in that paddock – Keverall Cunningham of Evandale.
Together they helped place a wreath on an old farm gate that had given Kev access to the crash site as part of the Airport Aviation Rescue Firefighter team who were among the first responders.
LANA BEST spoke to those at the memorial, the Lyndale “family”, which has finally been reunited.
The 30th anniversary of the Lyndale Football Club plane crash at Western Junction was the first time survivors Ken Stewart and Scott Blakely had returned to the site where they lost their teammates Mark Baxter, 31, his brother Lance, 29, Glenn King, 31, Dean Prendergast, 24, Scott Young, 23, and Kevin Connor, 22.
On Sunday, September 17, they were accompanied by family and friends, Lyndale Football Club former player Murray Collard (who was on a separate chartered flight to that which crashed), Leighlands property manager Bernice Jurgeit and a handful of locals for a simple, heartfelt memorial service and wreath laying.
Fellow survivors Allen Fisher and Roger Rodrigues were unable to attend.
“It’s great to see a contingent of locals here who we see as heroes, who helped rescue and save our mates that night, thanks a lot guys,” Mr Collard said in his address.
“We recognise the quick and decisive actions of those first on the scene, Dianne Rigby and Paul Thompson, the airport emergency responders, Bronwyn Rigby and the volunteers of the Evandale Volunteer Fire Brigade, Keverall Cunningham who comforted Ken Stewart and Bill Allison who comforted Scotty Blakely, and the amazing nurses and doctors at the Launceston General Hospital.”
Air Services Australia firefighters watched on from a fire truck at the end of the nearby runway and shot a water cannon into the air as a sign of respect.
Someone played the Lyndale Football Club song on a boom box and, as if they were all reunited back at the clubrooms, some beers were downed and stories told about a group of 10 young footballers who would never play again.
Best of all some of the first responders on that tragic day were able to talk to the survivors and learn more about what happened.
Blessington’s Dianne Rigby, a seamstress, and her partner Paul Thompson, a baggage handler for Qantas, were on their way to a party when they witnessed the plane hit the power lines and dive into the ground, bouncing once before crumbling into a wreck.
“Every time we drive past I still look at the joiners in the power lines and remember,” Dianne said.
“We jumped the gate, Paul ran down, one body was laying on the wing of the plane, another close by on the ground.
“Paul pulled Roger Rodrigues, the pilot, away from the wreckage and I stayed with him and Paul went back and pulled Allen Fisher away, he had an obvious broken leg or foot.
“When the fire brigade got there I told them there was one person still on the plane – we saw him trying to kick one of the windows out but there was fire and we were scared it was about to explode.”
During the get-together Dianne learned that the white-soled shoe she had seen at the window belonged to survivor Scott Blakely. She had thought it belonged to one of the six who had perished and had felt guilty for 30 years thinking she could have done more.
Mr Blakely was sitting on the side of the plane that first impacted the ground, and ironically that is why he survived, those on the other side did not take the brunt of the impact, but died due to inhalation of the rising toxic fumes.
Bill Allison and his four children were in the closest house to where the plane ended up.
Mr Allison’s then 16yo daughter Ragan Allison, who attended the memorial, remembered him saying “God almighty, a plane has crashed”, before he pulled on his boots and ran to help.
“We were terrified and screamed for him to come back, but he didn’t think twice,” she said.
He helped Mr Blakely get clear of the wreckage and stayed with him until the paramedics arrived.
Now living on the east coast, he was delighted to be visited by Mr Blakely during his pilgrimage to Tasmania.
Like Dianne and Paul, he was shocked to find out after the disaster that there were six deceased – they thought they had rescued everyone because the plane appeared to be much smaller than a 10-seater.
Mr Blakely said a lot of guilt and anxiety was eased during the memorial service, for all involved, and that they can now take away some fond memories of a trip to Tasmania.