Police recover Walkerston couple Alwyn and Jenny Rogash after fatal plane crash at Finch Hatton

The remains of Queensland grandparents Alwyn and Jenny Rogash have been recovered from the site of the light plane crash that claimed their lives. LATEST

The bodies of Alwyn and Jenny Rogash have been recovered from the site of a mountain range in Finch Hatton where their light plane crashed on October 28, 2023.

The remains of Walkerston grandparents Alwyn and Jenny Rogash have been recovered from the site of the light plane crash that claimed their lives about two weeks after the tragedy occurred in the Pioneer Valley.

Police have been involved in protracted recovery efforts since the crash early on Saturday, October 28 because of the difficult mountainside location at Finch Hatton.

Initial reports indicated crews would have to be winched to the site but it can be revealed teams involved have had to make recovery efforts on land.

The site has been reported as being very steep and very dense with foliage.

A police spokesman said recovery and investigation crews had been able to reach the site in the past several days.

The RACQ CQ Rescue chopper is hovering over a section of mountainous area between Finch Hatton and Eungella. Picture: from flightrader24

“During that time initial site examination was conducted and attending police were able to recover human remains from the site,” the spokesman said.

A second expedition will be conducted in the next two weeks, he said.

Walkerston grandparents Alwyn and Jenny Rogash died when their plane crashed into the mountainside in the Pioneer Valley west of Mackay on Saturday, October 28, 2023. Picture: Contributed

The remains will be forensically examined but are believed to be those of Mr and Mrs Alwyn.

The 73-year-old pilot and his wife, 75, had been travelling from Townsville early on October 28 in their SOCATA 5B20 Trinidad plane and were expected to land at Palmyra Airstrip about 8.15am.

Smoke rising from the thick tree coverage of a mountain range north of Okuloo and Netherdale where it is understood a plane crashed on Saturday, October 28, 2023. Picture: RACQ CQ Rescue

But for unknown reasons the aircraft crashed into the mountainside.

A Finch Hatton community member, who raised the initial alarm, had spotted the plane flying overhead “and suddenly a distant noise” which prompted him to call emergency services.

An RACQ CQ Rescue crew found the crash site, 5km north of Netherdale, about 11.30am that day but it was not until 3pm that a member of the Queensland Police Service search crew was able to be winched down to the area which is described as mountainous and inaccessible by road or foot.

Mr Rogash has been described as an experienced pilot with more than three decades flying.