Bathurst 1000 plane incident under investigation

The pre-race build-up took a dramatic turn on Sunday morning when a stunt plane made contact with the concrete wall on Mountain Straight.

The plane, piloted by renowned aerobatic expert Hayden Pullen, landed on the circuit as part of a spectacular delivery of the Peter Brock Trophy.

As Pullen went to spin the plane around its horizontal stabilizer made contact with the wall, with what looked to be debris parting ways with the rear wing at the moment of impact.

Once the trophy was delivered the plane took off again from Mountain Straight.

The incident has now been flagged by the ATSB, which has commenced an investigation into what it has labeled a ‘serious incident’.

“The ATSB is investigating a collision with a barrier involving an Extra EA 300-LT, VH-XKW, about 10 km west-south-west of Bathurst Airport, New South Wales, on 13 October 2024,” read a summary from the ATSB.

“After landing at the Mount Panorama racing track, the aircraft struck a wall at the edge of the track, resulting in minor damage.

“The evidence collection phase of the investigation will involve interviewing the pilot and the collection of other relevant information.

“A final report will be released at the conclusion of the investigation. Should a critical safety issue be identified during the course of the investigation, the ATSB will immediately notify relevant parties, so that appropriate safety action can be taken.”