Emergency services rush to fatal plane crash in Gundaroo, near Lake George

A Queensland grandfather’s final words have been revealed after he and his three grandchildren from NSW died in a ‘catastrophic’ plane crash in the NSW Southern Tablelands.

Cydonee Mardon, Madeline Crittenden, Sam Turner and Angus McIntyre

2 min read

October 7, 2023 - 1:43PM

Canberra Star

Canberra Star

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A grandfather’s final words have been revealed, after he and his three grandchildren died in a “catastrophic” plane crash in the NSW Southern Tablelands.

The 65-year-old man, his 11-year-old grandson and two granddaughters, aged nine and six, are believed to have died instantly when the light plane plummeted to the ground and burst into flames just before 3pm.

The four-seater Cirrus SR22 crashed with “heavy impact” and caught alight near Lake George in the NSW Tablelands.

Recordings of air traffic control transmissions from the moments following the crash detailed the controller’s desperate attempts to reach the pilot after they lost sight of his navigation.

The pilot’s final message came just five minutes into the flight – when he responded to the ATC’s navigation directions.

“Right, Cullen, Mike Sierra Foxtrot,” the pilot stated.

The burnt out remnants of the plane after the deadly crash. Picture: OnScene ACT

At 2.50pm, the ATC realised something was wrong, and tried 10 times to reach the pilot – but received no response.

“Mike Sierra Foxtrot, this is Canberra Approach,” they said.

A message was then sent out to all stations – notifying them there was “some problem with a light aircraft.”

In the following minutes, they were notified the plane had plummeted to the ground from 9,000 feet, killing the pilot and his grandchildren on impact.

The experienced pilot, from Bunya in Queensland, left the Redcliffe aerodrome on Tuesday.

It was believed to have been travelling to Armidale. Sources say he had hundreds of hours of flying experience. His grandchildren are believed to be from NSW.

Just hours after the crash, Monaro Police Superintendent Cath Bradbury said authorities received a triple-0 call from a local resident who saw flames and smoke.

Fire crews arrived shortly afterwards, extinguished the light aircraft blaze and the grassfire in its immediate vicinity.

Superintendent Cath Bradbury at the scene on Friday. Picture Sam Turner

Police will work throughout the night with Australian Transport Safety Bureau investigators to establish the cause of the crash, while canvassing the surrounding areas for debris.

Supt Bradbury said there were “minimal witnesses” to the crash due to the remoteness of the area at Hadlow Dr in Gundaroo, near Lake George.

She said the “heavy impact” of the crash, which caused the fire, also made it hard to identify who had been on board.

The police boss said anyone who may have seen the plane prior or following the incident and whether it was incurring any trouble to contact police.

It’s believed the plane took off from Canberra at 2.30pm.

Six minutes later, it made a sharp plunge near Lake George, with air traffic control unable to establish communications with the pilot. The Cirrus SR-22 – owned by Queensland-based Up n Up Aviation – is a single-engine aircraft and is one of the most popular General Aviation aircraft in the world, regularly topping global bestseller lists.

Sources say the aircraft was reportedly in excellent condition.

Redcliffe Aero Club vice president Sam Keenan issued a statement about the crash on Saturday afternoon.

“The Redcliffe Aero Club expresses its deepest condolences to the family of the pilot and passengers who were tragically killed on Friday the 6th October 2023,” the statement read.

“The pilot was active in the social side of the club with many hours of flying experience. The aircraft was privately owned and not operated by the club.

“The matter is under investigation by the appropriate authorities, and until the findings are released, the club is unable to make any further comment.”