Pilot avoids crowds before plane crashes in Australia

A pilot managed to navigate his falling plane away from crowds before crashing to death on to a house in a southeastern suburb of Melbourne Tuesday.

The home-made single-engine light aircraft took off from the local Moorabbin airport but the scheduled return later in the day was terminated by the crash at around 1 p.m. due to an engine problem, Xinhua reported citing witnesses.

The pilot, in his 70s, who died on the spot, was described as "brave" by the police for his last action of manoeuvering a safer crash route to minimise casualties, local AAP reported.

Stating that the pilot acted very bravely, Andrew Delaney of the Country Fire Authority said that "he's done a very good job and really missed houses".

The plane was flying south alongside the Chelsea foreshore, police sources said. The pilot steered the diving plane away from a busy shopping strip and a nearby children's park.

The plane hit the corner of Herta Nebert's house when she was in her kitchen, and the impact forced her on to the ground and shattered windows. Luckily she did not get hurt.