Pilots killed in Oakey plane crash mourned as investigation continues

Australia Broadcast Center

22-07-2025

One of the pilots who died in a plane crash in Queensland on the weekend has been remembered for his cheeky sense of humour and calming influence on students.
Wayne Saunders, a pilot for aviation specialist service Aero Logistics, and his flight examiner, Robert Molony, died instantly when the Reims-Cessna F406 Caravan they were flying crashed in a field near the Swartz Barracks at Oakey.
The light plane departed from Warwick, south of Toowoomba, at about 2:30pm and was performing training exercises at Brymaroo before returning towards Oakey when the crash occurred shortly after 3pm at Devon Park.
The aircraft burst into flames upon impact, killing both men instantly.
Mr Malony was an experienced flight examiner whose wisdom and calming attitude made him a favourite among students chasing their flying dreams.
Former student Ben Mihan said he would always hope Mr Molony was his flight examiner when he was studying for his commercial pilot's licence on the Gold Coast in 2017.
"When I first met him he was such a nice bloke and made the experience of flight training really special," Mr Mihan said.
Mr Milhan also experienced the veteran examiner's cheeky sense of humour after completing his final test flight.
"He said very little and he ended up going for a coffee and I thought, 'Oh no, I've just failed this flight test,'" Mr Milhan said.
"But then he walked back about two minutes later and had a bit of a chuckle.
"He said, 'No, no, you've passed your licence.'"
Mr Mihan said Mr Molony's passing would be felt throughout the aviation community.
"You never expect it to be someone you know in these tragic accidents and I just feel for his family, friends and also his work colleagues," Mr Mihan said.
Aero Logistics chief executive Ben Smee said the surveying and transport company was working with the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) to establish what led to the crash.
"This is a terrible tragedy for the two people onboard the aircraft and their families, friends and workmates," Mr Smee said in a statement.
"[Mr Saunders and Mr Molony] were experienced pilots and well-respected by everyone at Aero Logistics.
"This is a devastating loss to everyone who knew them."
ATSB investigators believe the two pilots were attempting an instrument landing system (ILS) approach to Oakey Army Aviation Centre at the Swartz Barracks before the plane went down.
The twin turbo-prop 12-seater aircraft, built in France in 1990, had been in Australia for 13 years and was subject to a previous ATSB investigation in 2014 inquiry related to the plane's oxygen system after a failure caused a pilot to experience hypoxia.
But ATSB chief commissioner Angus Mitchell said the fault found in 2014 was "unlikely to be associated with what occurred" during Sunday's crash.
He confirmed an interim report was expected to be delivered within six to eight weeks.
"A preliminary report is very much an assessment of the facts as we know them," Mr Mitchell said.
"Quite often that will be a very good indication of the sequence of events that occurred.
"We will look at the history of the aircraft, what is it normally being used for and what potentially differed … to have such a tragic outcome that two families are obviously grieving for … and, more broadly, an aviation community."