Pilot and his female passenger killed as plane mysteriously crashes in the Outback less than 5km from its destination – as witnesses described the aircraft going ‘off course’
- Pilot was respected campdrafter Peter Gesler, 59, from Greymare, Qld
- As-yet unidentified 48-year-old woman from Wyndam, Qld, also killed
- Pair flew over scenic Lake Eyre before refuelling at William Creek
- Plane crashed into flat scrubland near the airport just before 6.30pm Saturday
- Eyewitness said he thought the plane ‘seemed to be off course’
Pilot Peter Gesler, 59, was highly respected in campdrafting circles and competed at the Warwick Rodeo in Queensland
A Queensland pilot and his passenger have been killed in a light plane crash in the remote South Australian outback hours after flying over scenic Lake Eyre.
Pilot Peter Gesler, 59, from Donell Park, Greymare and an as-yet unidentified 48-year-old woman from Wyndam were killed when their Brumby 610 aircraft crashed into flat scrubland near Leigh Creek airport just before 6.30pm on Saturday.
The only visible remains of the plane is the tail section.
South Australia Police found the wreckage in scrubland about 4.5km from the remote airport which itself is 539km north of Adelaide.
The Queenslanders had been staying at Marree, a small town at the junction of the Oodnadatta Track and the Birdsville Track, and had flown over Lake Eyre before refuelling at William Creek.
Lake Eyre, which only has water three or four times per century, filled almost to capacity in May providing a spectacular landscape of birdlife and water for scenic tourist flyovers.
The pair died when their plane crashed on approach just 4.5km from Leigh Creek Airport at 6.30pm on Saturday in the remote far-north outback of South Australia
A Brumby 610 light aircraft similar to the one that crashed
The pair appeared to be in a hurry as they bought ice creams at the William Creek Hotel as they were planning to fly to Leigh Creek but it was getting late, The Advertiser reports.
They took off from William Creek about 4pm before crashing on approach to Leigh Creek, South Australia Police said in a media release.
It is believed the pair were intending to meet friends at Leigh Creek before attending the Birdsville Big Red Bash, a three-day music festival featuring Midnight Oil, Steve Kilby from The Church, The Living End, Kasey Chambers and Richard Clapton.
Mr Gesler is highly respected in campdrafting circles and had great success at the Donell Park stud with champion sire Seligman Spin, one of the top-rated cutting sires in Queensland.
He also competed in campdrafts at the Warwick Rodeo.
SA Police set up an air exclusion zone with a 1km radius and a 1000ft ceiling until 8.30am Monday.
Investigators from Recreation Aviation Australia made their way to the scene on Sunday and were expected to arrive about 9pm, SA Police said on their website.
Police will prepare a report for the coroner.
Locals in the remote region of South Australia said the weather on Saturday evening was overcast with a light wind, The Advertiser reported.
While there had been showers earlier it was dry when the pair crashed.
Peter Thompson, staying at the Leigh Creek Caravan Park, said he had seen the plane before it crashed.
‘I took more interest than normal because he seemed to be off course. He appeared to turn and come back and then turn again. I didn’t know if he was in trouble or not – but I had a funny feeling,’ he told The Advertiser.
‘Planes normally come straight over the park to the runway,’ he said.
‘I moved forward to track him and he just vanished.’
Lake Eyre only fills with water a few times per century. Enough water to fill Sydney Harbour seven times over flowed into the remote salt pan between February and May and has left the lake almost filled for the first time since 1974, creating a huge drawcard for scenic fly-overs