Serpentine plane crash: Survivor John Reay underwent surgery following Sunday’s crash

An elderly man who miraculously survived a plane crash on Sunday morning with his wife, has undergone surgery for his injuries. John Reay, 78, and his wife, Made, 65, were rushed to Royal Perth Hospital after their two-seater single-engine ultralight aircraft plunged to the ground about 9.30am. Mr Reay was taken in for surgery on Monday, while his wife remains in a stable condition. The horror crash happened at the Serpentine Airfield strip, which is operated by the Sport Aircraft Builders Club of WA, in Hopeland, south-east of Baldivis. The aircraft, a white Cirrus 24-8088, lost an entire wing and its propeller in the crash but its tail remained mostly intact. The crash occurred about 500m inland from the end of Yangedi Road, near a runway strip in dense bushland, where the couple was trapped inside the aircraft and had to be removed by emergency services. “It’s a very rare occurrence that this happens (people survive plane crashes),” Snr Sgt Philip Bonner told media crews at the site. “But any plane crash I think you’d be lucky walking away.” Snr Sgt Bonner said the rescue operation included three or four police units. DFES confirmed several fire crews were also called, including the Rockingham Fire and Rescue team. Sport Aircraft Builders Club WA president Dave Olney said an investigation into the incident was in its early stages and the circumstances were still unclear. “We haven’t spoken to him so we don’t know the details around it — other than he’s lucky and we’re fortunate,” he said on Sunday. “He’s had a crash, he’s OK, he’s got minor injuries — we don’t know what caused it at this stage, but we’ll find out in due course.” Mr Reay’s neighbours said he had been flying planes for more than two decades and spent a lot of time at the Serpentine club in the summer months. Mr and Mrs Reay live in Alfred Cove and are believed to be retired. A family spokesman told The West Australian they were a shy couple.