A flying instructor who was killed in a light plane crash near Lancefield was a former Ansett Captain who had more than 20,000 flying hours experience.
Terry Otway, a 79-year-old from Sunbury, lost his life while on a training flight with a 48-year-old Lower Templestowe man who had just moved from Sydney.
The Brumby 600, which is an Australian-built, single-engine two-seater, light-sport aircraft, took off from Penfield Flight School airfield in Sunbury on Saturday morning.
It crashed near the intersection of Kilmore-Lancefield and Shannons Road just before 11.30am on Saturday.
Penfield Flight School owner Vince Goulthorpe said both pilots were experienced.
“The student was a man from Sydney who already had a flying licence,” Mr Goulthorpe said.
He added the student was changing from general aviation to light sport aircraft.
“He was changing his licence from GA (general to light aircraft.”
Witnesses told Star Weekly they saw the plane circling near Lancefield moments before the crash.
Another witness, Chris Woodroofe, who owns a property next to the Lancefield crash site told Fairfax Media he thought he was watching an aerial aerobatics display before realising that the aircraft was about to crash.
He said he saw the plane, a Brumby 600 Aircraft, fly high in the air, like it was preparing for a stunt.
“I thought it was doing aerobatics and it went into a spiral,” Mr Woodroofe said.
“I said to my wife Allison: ‘Come and have a look at this’. But she said: ‘I don’t think that’s aerobatics, that plane is in trouble’,” he said.
Police are yet to identify the people who were on board the light aircraft, but it’s believed they were a student and instructor..
Authorities are also yet to determine where the plane took off from and where it was headed.
Air Transport Safety Bureau inspectors are on their way to the scene.
The Brumby 600 is a two-seat is an Australian-built recreational aircraft.
Police will also prepare a report for the coroner.
Anyone with information about the crash is being urged to phone Kyneton police on 5421 2900.
with The Age
