Overview

• Authorities have formally identified the victims as pilot Andrew Connors, 55, his wife Julianne, 54, and their friend Colin McLaughlin, 73.
• The Piper Cherokee Lance lifted to roughly 30 metres before sharply banking left and striking the runway, where it caught fire; no other injuries were reported.
• A Rural Fire Service training unit at the airport witnessed the crash and responded immediately, but the intensity of the post‑impact fire prevented rescue.
• ATSB investigators have mapped the site with a drone, gathered CCTV and flight‑tracking data, and begun interviews as part of a comprehensive inquiry.
• The runway remains closed while wreckage is moved to a hangar for detailed examination, and officials stress the cause is undetermined despite power‑loss indicators.