TV FISHING show host Nick Duigan and his father John, who were involved in an ultralight aircraft crash on Flinders Island yesterday, remain in the Intensive Care Unit at the Launceston General Hospital.
Dr Peter Renshaw, director of Clinical Services at Launceston General Hospital, said John Duigan was in a serious but stable condition after surgery for a significant leg injury.
Nick Duigan received head injuries in the accident but was also in a stable condition and was conscious and communicating with his family and treating staff.
The ultralight, piloted by Mr Duigan Snr, was taking off from a private airstrip at Emita at 4.25pm when it hit a hill in an adjoining paddock and flipped.
Nick Duigan was thrown from the aircraft and suffered significant head injuries, including a broken jaw.
His father remained in the aircraft.
Police, paramedics and firefighters attended the scene and the men were taken to the Flinders Island Multi- Purpose Centre.
Early indications suggested that the pilot had been unable to get airborne upon take-off.
One witness said the plane had landed on its roof after crashing.
Both men were treated at the Flinders Island Multi- Purpose Centre before being flown to Launceston Airport by the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
Three ambulance units attended Launceston Airport when the flight arrived at 9.30pm. The pair were carried into the waiting ambulances and taken to the LGH.
The Duigan family has a long history in aviation.
Less than two months ago, Qantas honoured the family with the naming of its second Airbus A380 aircraft.
Nick Duigan, the co-host of popular TV fishing program Hook, Line, and Sinker and a former Southern Cross sports presenter, said at the time that both his grandfather and his great uncle missed out on being the first Australians to fly by just six weeks in 1910.
The pair built the first Australian-made aircraft, known as the Duigan biplane, that same year. Mr Duigan's father built several of his own aircraft.