Tag: SA Police

One of three people who died in a light plane crash south of Adelaide has been identified as an experienced pilot.

Police were called to the Long Bay area near Goolwa South about 4:20pm on Friday afternoon after reports of a light plane crashing into the ocean.

Morphett Vale man Leo Howard, 53, died in the crash alongside an 18-year-old man from Freeling and a 20-year-old man from Pasadena, police said.

Mr Howard’s family, who has given ABC permission to use his name and image, provided a statement on Saturday afternoon.

“Leo was a highly respected and experienced pilot,” sister Mercedes Howard said.

“He was a loved family man, son, father and brother. 

“We are devastated at this time and send our condolences to the other families involved.”

Senior Constable Rebecca Stokes told ABC Radio Adelaide that police would prepare a report for the coroner. 

“The wreckage of that single-engine Cessna 210 aircraft has been brought into shore near the Murray Mouth,” she said. 

“Tragic news for three families in South Australia today.”

Four investigators from the Australian Transport and Safety Bureau (ATSB) have been sent from Canberra to Goolwa today and have launched a safety investigation into the incident.

In a statement, ATSB Acting Chief Commissioner Colin McNamara said once they arrived, investigators would examine the recovered aircraft wreckage.

“Over coming days, investigators will also interview witnesses and involved parties, and obtain any available flight track data and aircraft and maintenance records,” he said.

“Any aircraft components of interest will also be recovered to our Canberra technical facilities for further examination.”

Mr McNamara said the ATSB was aware of a number of video footage that showed moments before the crash and has asked anyone with recordings of the plane “at any stage of its flight” to contact the bureau.

Quick response after crash

ABC reporter Caroline Horn said police worked into the night to search the area.

“Police divers entered the water just before dark and undertook that search and at about 2:30 this morning a helicopter was called to the area,” she said.

“It is quite remote, but there were people fishing in the area. It’s a very popular fishing spot because it’s where the mouth of the Murray River runs out.”

Milang local Sam Rohloff said he was fishing near the Murray Mouth when he saw the plane begin to spiral.

“We thought you know how they spiral and usually pull back up, but this thing was coming down pretty hard, it just spiralled out of control and smashed straight into the water,” Mr Rohloff said.

“It was a couple of hundred metres offshore … It was pretty much like an explosion, massive waves everywhere.”

Mr Rohloff said he immediately called emergency services.

“I just grabbed my phone straight away and got onto Triple Zero,” he said.

Surf Life Saving SA’s Matthew Burrage was one of the first volunteers on the Jet Rescue Boat Service who arrived at the crash site within 20 minutes.

But he said trying to find the aircraft in the water was “extremely difficult” amid challenging conditions.

“Due to the moving current of the River Murray as well as the surf zone coming in, that search area can be quite extensive,” he said.

“The surf zone was in excess of 400 metres, trying to find somebody probably you’re looking at at least a square kilometre of the search pattern in the surf.”

Sean Faulkner, Surf Life Saving SA’s general manager of public safety and member service, said the jet rescue boats took part in the search and supported police operations throughout the night.

“Without the unique capabilities of that jet rescue boat and the amazing skills of the crews themselves, I don’t know how SAPOL would have completed that very difficult task last night,” he said.

“There are members of our community today who are hurting as a result of the tragedy yesterday, and our thoughts are with all the friends and families of those impacted.”