Three men were rescued after their plane crashed near Lake George, prompting former emergency services minister Terry Connelly to question whether the ACT needed its own rescue helicopter service.

The aircraft crashed at around 11.30am and an Australian Defence Force helicopter was on the scene by 12.20pm to treat and air lift the least injured passenger to Woden Valley Hospital.

The Care Flight helicopter had been called from Sydney and arrived at 1.15pm. It was reported that poor visibility had delayed it's arrival.

Two passengers were severely burned, the 68 year old pilot and a 50 year old passenger, and they were admitted to the burns unit at Concord Hospital in Sydney by 3.00pm. Both were reportedly "dangerously ill" according to a hospital spokeswoman.

"It would appear that everything worked effectively and smoothly yesterday, with police and ambulance services working together" Connolly said.

"The less serious burns were taken to Woden and the more serious cases to Sydney, as they should. It seems this shows there is no great need for a rescue helicopter of our own. As we've said for some time, and as I was advised when I was minister, when we really need one, we can get one." he continued.

The cost of running the rescue service has been estimated at $2 million per year, including the servicing of the helicopter and wages for the 10 staff needed to run it.

The ACT was already spending about 60 per cent of that figure a year stationing a helicopter at Canberra airport during bush fire season.

See: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/page/14187356