Latest news with #Oakey
ABC News
22-07-2025
- General
- ABC News
Pilots killed in Oakey plane crash mourned as investigation continues
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."
ABC News
21-07-2025
- General
- ABC News
Pilots killed in Oakey plane crash were carrying out mandatory training, ATSB says
Two men killed in a plane crash in Queensland on Sunday afternoon are believed to have been conducting a mandatory pilot proficiency check moments before their aircraft hit the ground. Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) investigators believe the plane, which took off south of Toowoomba at Warwick, was attempting an instrument landing system (ILS) approach to Oakey Army Aviation Centre at the Swartz Barracks when the crash occurred at Oakey at about 3pm. The aircraft burst into flames, killing both men instantly. Aviation specialist service Aero Logistics confirmed that one of its pilots was killed in the crash. Chief executive Ben Smee said the pilot had been working with an external flight examiner. "This is a terrible tragedy for the two people onboard the aircraft and their families, friends and workmates," he said in a statement. Today ATSB investigators have been scouring through the wreckage and investigating the history of the aircraft and the two men on board. "We still don't have access to all maintenance records — they're part of what we're routinely get over the course of the next couple of days," ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell said. The Reims-Cessna F406 Caravan, a twin turbo-prop 12-seater aircraft built in France in 1990, had been in Australia for 13 years, according to the ATSB. In 2014 the ATSB assessed the aircraft after one of its pilots suffered hypoxia during a flight. That investigation concluded there had been an error with the plane's oxygen system when it was above 10,000 feet and the issue was rectified. Mr Mitchell confirmed that the fault found in 2014 was "unlikely to be associated with what occurred" during Sunday's crash. Recent flight-log data showed the aircraft had made numerous flights in the same area and around Emerald in central Queensland in the days leading up to the crash. Mr Mitchell said flight data could play a key role in determining the cause of the crash. "A small aircraft like this is quite likely to have some sort of recording devices … what state they're going to be in is something that will determine later on," he said. "There are other recording devices, whether that be mobile phones, iPads, that we can often recover from site, and anything that's been recorded, whether that be radar traffic, and radio traffic." Mr Mitchell could not confirm whether a "mayday" call had been made prior to the crash. "[The plane] left Warwick about 40 minutes prior to the accident," he said. "There is some of that circling that was done around the Oakey [area], but whether Oakey [Swartz Barracks] was an intended destination or simply part of the training and part of the proficiency check for the pilot we're yet to clarify." The Oakey Army Aviation Centre has an ILS – a ground-based navigation system – installed to allow aircraft to land in any weather. An Australian Defence Force spokesperson said flying over a restricted area must be avoided unless in an emergency, according to minutes from the Brisbane Airport Commmunity Airspace Advisory Board Meeting in February. The meeting minutes also advise that civilian aircraft may make requests to air traffic control in restricted Defence areas, including military bases, for emergencies only. ATSB preliminary reports are likely to take between six and eight weeks to complete, according to Mr Mitchell. "A preliminary report is very much an assessment of the facts as we know them — quite often that will be a very good indication of the sequence of events that occurred," he said. "We will look at the history of the aircraft, what is it normally being used for and what potentially differed yesterday to have such a tragic outcome that two families are obviously grieving for today and more broadly an aviation community."
The Guardian
21-07-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Two men killed in light plane crash that ignited ‘fireball' in Queensland
A pilot and flight examiner have died in a light plane crash that ignited a 'fireball' in south-eastern Queensland A twin turboprop Reims Cessna F406 aircraft owned by Aero Logistics crashed into a grassy area at Devon Park, near Oakey, west of Toowoomba, about 3pm on Sunday. Two men on board the aircraft, confirmed as an Aero Logistics pilot and an external flight examiner, died in the crash. 'This is a terrible tragedy for the two people onboard the aircraft and their families, friends and workmates,' Ben Smee, the chief executive of Aero Logistics, said in a statement. 'They were experienced pilots and well-respected by everyone at Aero Logistics. 'This is a devastating loss for everyone who knew them.' Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email Smee said the company has offered its support to the families of the two men and counselling services to staff. 'Safety is our first and most important priority. The cause of the accident will be thoroughly investigated for the sake of the families and the ongoing safety of our fleet,' he said. Police said the crash caused the plane to burst into flames on impact. 'There was a very large fireball and Queensland Fire Department did attend and extinguished the fire,' Sen Sgt Matt Forbes told reporters on Sunday. Forbes said the plane crashed into a field, and the property owner heard a 'loud explosion' which prompted the call to emergency services. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau said it would transport the recovered aircraft wreckage to its technical facilities in Canberra for examination. It urged anyone with video footage of the light plane, at any phase of the flight or in the immediate aftermath of the crash, to contact the agency. Aero Logistics confirmed it would fully cooperate with the investigation and has suspended all flight operations until further notice.
Yahoo
20-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Two killed as light plane crashes in southeastern Qld
Two people have died after a light plane crashed in southeastern Queensland, authorities say. Emergency services said a twin turboprop Reims Cessna F406 aircraft crashed into a grass area at Devon Park, near Oakey, west of Toowoomba about 3pm on Sunday. Two men believed to have been onboard the aircraft died in the crash, police said, with investigators saying forensic testing was ongoing to identify them. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau said it would transport the recovered aircraft wreckage to its technical facilities in Canberra for further study. It urged anyone with video footage of the light plane, at any phase of the flight or in the immediate aftermath of the crash, to contact the ATSB.
ABC News
20-07-2025
- General
- ABC News
Two men killed in plane crash west of Brisbane
Two men have died in a plane crash at Oakey, west of Brisbane. Emergency Services were called to Oakey Cooyar Road just after 3pm on Sunday, to reports a light plane had come down. A Queensland Fire Department spokesperson said crews arrived at the scene to find the plane well alight and quickly extinguished the blaze. Six ambulances were called to the crash but were stood down. The men could not be saved. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) said the incident had been reported, and they would be investigating the crash.
