Tributes flow for Tom and Noah Strachan, Gary Liehm after plane crash at Fernvale
Tributes are flowing for three men killed in a plane crash, including a supporter and champion of regional and indigenous students.
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Tributes are flowing for three men killed when their plane crashed in the Lockyer Valley on Monday while it battled bad weather.
Roma father Tom Strachan, 49, and his son, Noah, 20, as well as pilot, Gary Liehm, 63, all died about 10am Monday when their Cessna crashed while on route to Brisbane’s Archerfield Airport from Dalby, west of Toowoomba.
Tom Strachan has been remembered as a supporter and champion of regional and indigenous students, having donated to bursaries designed to make education in Brisbane more accessible to “bush kids”.
He was a celebrated horseman and businessman best known for building the Australian Workforce Exchange (AWX) empire, as well as being a leading voice on agribusiness and progressive farming.
The AWX is Australia’s largest and leading labour hire company, according to its website.
He was also the executive director of Packhorse,an agricultural investment and land management company focused on regenerative farming.
A Brisbane Grammar ‘Old Boy,’ Mr Strachan donated $500,000 to needs-based bursaries at the School in 2021.
“We need to be a school that attracts kids who come from all walks of life. The opportunity of an education can spur them on to become leaders and give back to society,” he said.
“That’s why I think bursaries are so important.”
Noah, Mr Strachan’s son, was also on board the plane and died in the tragedy.
He graduated from Brisbane Grammar School in 2019 before he commenced study at the Queensland University of Technology in 2020, where he undertook courses in Property Economics, Business, Management, Marketing, and related Support Services.
Noah was expected to graduate in 2024 and was employed as an analyst at Brisbane real estate firm, Benstead Holdaway Private Capital in the city.
In a statement, Brisbane Grammar School (BGS) Acting Headmaster David Carroll said the school community was “deeply saddened by the tragic passing of Old Boys Tom Strachan and his son Noah.”
“Tom graduated from BGS in 1990 and Noah graduated from BGS in 2019,” Mr Carroll said in the statement.
“The school will provide counselling support for students and staff impacted by the tragedy.
“Our thoughts are with the Strachan family. We will support them in any way possible.”
State LNP MP Deb Frecklington added that “Tom was a champion of the future of regional Queensland.”
Tributes for the two also began appearing on social media early Tuesday.
On Facebook, Elizabeth Corfe wrote her family had known Tom “since he was a boy.”
“He was always a vibrant force, destined to make a big mark on the world around him,” she said.
“A huge loss, losing not only Tom but his son Noah with so much of his life ahead of him.”
A pilot of more than 40 years, Gary Liehm of Helensvale on the Gold Coast has been remembered as a “true gentleman and real character” who was “always joking but so serious when it came to flying,” according to Tony Melia.
“I’d spent many hours flying with Gary sitting alongside him in his Euro Helicopters and always felt extremely safe,” he said.
“He was an exceptional pilot.”
Mr Liehm was the chief executive of Executive Helicopters and had flown for the likes of the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services, Sea World, and celebrities including the Hemsworth family.
The experienced pilot had been flying the father and son to Brisbane’s Archerfield Airport when it crashed.
An initial flight took off near the Strachan family property in Lighthouse, north of Roma, about 7.20am Monday and landed in Dalby.
The trio took off from Dalby at 8.59am bound for Brisbane before being impacted by bad weather, causing the Cessna light aircraft to rapidly drop from 2000ft to 500ft, crashing near Fernvale in the Somerset region, about 10am.
Flight tracking data shows the plane making two attempts to cross the Toowoomba Range during the flight to Brisbane – one at 9.39am and a second, successful attempt further south at 9.45am.
The plane then turned northeast two minutes later to fly across the Lockyer Valley towards Ipswich, mostly sustaining an altitude of around 600 to 800 metres.
But at 9.47am the plane’s altitude was halved to 400 metres in a matter of minutes.
It then continued to drop to about 120 metres by 10.05am.
The flight data shows the plane regained altitude by climbing to 275 metres at 10.07am, which was the last recorded information.
An Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) spokeswoman said the cause of the crash was under investigation.
“The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has commenced an investigation into an accident involving a Cessna light aircraft, which collided with terrain near Lake Wivenhoe, in South East Queensland, on Monday,” she said.
“The ATSB expects to deploy a team of transport safety investigators from its Brisbane office, with expertise in engineering, aircraft operations and maintenance, to the accident site on Tuesday.”
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