NSW farmer who died in aircraft crash remembered as community man
A small New South Wales rural community has paid tribute to a father who died in an ultra-light aircraft crash.
Paul Adam, 48, died when his recreational aircraft crashed in a paddock near Tottenham in the state's central west on Monday afternoon.
Lachlan Shire Council mayor John Medcalf said he lived close to Mr Adam and had known him his entire life.
"It is a very big shock," Councillor Medcalf said.
"He was very, very involved in the community.
Police had been searching the area for the driver of a car that had been reported stolen around the time of the crash.
A spokesperson for New South Wales Police said officers were searching for the vehicle when they came across the crashed plane.
Police said officers were still trying to find the driver of the vehicle.
Mr Adam was a father to three children and a long-time volunteer of the local Lions club.
As the owner of a crop farm, Mr Adam was awarded a Nuffield Scholarship in 2011 to investigate measures to improve no-till cropping systems on his property.
The Nuffield Scholarship is awarded to 20 farmers each year from different parts of the world, providing funding to allow them to travel overseas to conduct research into agriculture.
Cr Medcalf said Mr Adam was a "very innovative farmer" and his loss would be deeply felt across the industry.
An investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash has been launched by the Sports Aviation Federation of Australia.
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