Late night search for 'crashed plane' draws blank

Late night search for 'crashed plane' draws blank

www.ntnews.com.au

A SEARCH was underway late into last night after reports a small plane had crashed in mangroves in Darwin.
But despite using night-vision goggles the helicopter crew had been unable to find any sign of a plane or its occupants.
Kulaluk community resident Helen Secretary, one of those who reported the plane, said she had seen it on the mangroves in front of her community before 6pm yesterday.
"There's other members of the community who saw it as well," she said last night.

(visit the link for the full news article)


Related News Links:
www.abc.net.au
au.news.yahoo.com

There are no reports of a plane missing yet locals have viewed the plane balancing on top of the mangroves.

"(We had) seen a plane balancing on top of the mangroves.
"It was a small 5-seater plane that was balancing. We went around to Progress Dr and could see the plane.
"We've got the helicopter going round and round and they can't seem to find it."

Even after a sighting of a plane's fuselage about 400m off the land. The Police conclude:
"Police attended the vicinity of Kululuk community and located two structures that when aligned together at a position on Progress Drive appeared to look like a small aircraft in the mangroves," police said in a statement.(yahoo link below)

In a Nutshell the Locals are told they are seeing things?
A plane balancing on top of the mangroves.
OR
A plane Hovering on top of the mangroves?


Zelong.

www.ntnews.com.au
(visit the link for the full news article)

It looks like it has been solved
I have found more on the plane balancing on top of the mangroves.

M ystery plane 'crashed' in mangroves just houses in distances, say police
The mystery was solved by mid-morning when police went to the site of the witness reports. The appearance of homes in the distance bore a striking similarity to a light plane very low to the ground. "Even the search and rescue coordinator said it bears a striking resemblance to an aircraft," a Northern Territory police spokesman said. "At a certain point on a coastal road, two structures meld together. "That, together with the poor visibility last night, and cars on the road causing the light to flicker made it appear there was a plane." The alarm was raised yesterday by a woman standing on a jetty at Nightcliff.

Nightcliff Jetty:



Zelong.

[edit on 28/2/10 by Zelong]

If that is so, than wouldn't one think that this plane mirage could be seen every night? What made a bunch of people mistake it for a plane on that specific day?

reply to post by Crapsghetti

Good points Crapsghetti that is one of my doubts too
I posted the "It looks like it has been solved" because a few more reports came out.... BUT the sighting occurred before 6pm yesterday 28th Feb. How could the Police test the mirage/Optical illusion before 6pm tonight. The sightings are from Locals

Darwin, Mark Payne, said..."It's very rare to receive a number of similar reports at the same time,"

Police attended the vicinity of Kululuk community and located two structures that when aligned together at a position on Progress Drive appeared to look like a small aircraft in the mangroves

– NT Police

Well here's the actual picture of the optical illusion.
How optical illusion triggered plane panic



Again the Locals didn't know that was there This is a Strange sighting.



Zelong.