22-07-2025
Queensland flight examiner's last words to wife just hours before fatal plane crash claimed his life revealed
The longtime wife of a man who died following a tragic plane crash over the weekend has revealed the last words he spoke to her just hours before take-off.
Flight examiner and war veteran Robert 'Bob' Molony was one of two men onboard an Aero Logistics aircraft which crashed west of Toowoomba, Queensland on Sunday afternoon.
Emergency responders rushed to scene at Devon Park near Oakley at about 3.10pm following reports of a crash, with police saying in a statement the two male occupants of the aircraft were declared dead at the scene.
Pilot Wayne Saunders has been identified as the other man onboard the 35-year-old French made twin turboprop Reims Cessna F406 that took off from Warwick Airport.
The Courier Mail reports Stephanie Molony, who had been married to Mr Molony for nearly three decades, has said her husband will leave a legacy of having been 'one of the most experienced pilots around'.
'I'm so proud of him and the person he was for the industry, that they've now got people like him to aspire to be,' she said.
Ms Molony also revealed she and the 78-year-old had shopped for fruit trees at a Bunnings on Sunday morning before her husband's flight that afternoon.
She said the flight examiner had yelled to her 'I'll be home at 4pm to plant those trees' as he walked out the door.
'There was nothing extra about it, just as simple as that,' she said.
'It got to 4.30pm and I tried ringing his mobile and it went to message bank.
Ms Molony drove to the airport the plane had departed from and discovered her husband's parked car, before police then arrived to deliver the news, according to the masthead.
It comes after the chief executive of Aero Logistics – an Archerfield-based aircraft charter and rental service – described Sunday's incident as 'tragedy'.
'This is a terrible tragedy for the two people on-board the aircraft and their families, friends and workmates,' chief executive Ben Smee said on Monday.
'This is a devastating loss for everyone who knew them.
'We have offered our support and assistance to their families as they come to terms with the situation. We have also made counselling services available for our staff.'
An investigation into determining the cause of the crash could take up to six weeks, according to the Australian Transport and Safety Bureau (ATSB).
Mr Molony, originally from Brisbane, was a former Royal Australian Air Force pilot who was deployed to South Vietnam as a Canberra bomber navigator, having amassed more than 14,000 flight hours over his career.
The ATSB has said its investigation involves a team of investigators from Brisbane and Cairns.
'Investigators will conduct a range of evidence-gathering activities, including site and wreckage examination, and recovery of any aircraft components for further examination at the ATSB's technical facilities in Canberra,' a statement said.
'Investigators will also seek to interview involved parties, and collect relevant recorded information including flight tracking data, as well as pilot and aircraft maintenance records, and weather information."
