Days to recover bodies from plane crash site

It could be days before the bodies of six people killed in a plane crash north of Brisbane can be recovered, police say.

The wreckage of a 1934 De Havilland Dragon was found in dense bushland near the town of Imbil in the Sunshine Coast hinterland yesterday, two days after it crashed.

Police and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau are leading investigations into the crash as the operation shifts from a rescue to recovery mission.

Chief Superintendent Mike Keating says victim identification officers will visit the crash site today.

They will begin the task of recovering the bodies of pilot Des Porter, 68, his wife Kath, 61, and two Brisbane couples, Les D'evlin, 75, and wife Janice, 61, and John and Carol Dawson, both 63.

Superintendent Keating said the remoteness of the crash site was making recovery efforts difficult.

"That will take a few days I think," he told reporters in Imbil about 160 km north of Brisbane.

"This is a difficult environment, a tough situation and we'll work our way painstakingly through that until we've completed our scene investigation."

Superintendent Keating said the crash site would be guarded from the public and media while investigations were undertaken.

"It's a preserved site," he said.

"We have orders to preserve it and nobody will get anywhere near it other than those that need to from the investigation parties."

Superintenden Keating said police were providing support to the victims' families.

Thursday 4 October 2012

Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/days-to-recover-bodies-from-plane-crash-site-20121004-270fa.html#ixzz28Ks6aLEq