Tinamba West plane crash that killed Luke and Benny Smith and Dusty Daly captured on video

Video footage will play a major role in the investigation into a tragic Gippsland plane crash that killed three boys, with the incident caught on CCTV.

CCTV footage about 700m from the crash site showed the plane falling behind a group of trees. Picture: ATSB

Investigators have uncovered CCTV footage of a Gippsland plane crash that killed two brothers and their cousin as they work towards identifying the cause of the fatal accident.

Luke and Benny Smith, aged 20 and 16 respectively, and their cousin Dusty Dan, 15, died when their Morgan Cougar MK1 aircraft crashed at Tinamba West on November 16.

Luke and Benny Smith were killed in a horror plane crash alongside their cousin Dustin Daly. Picture: Supplied.

A photo montage to Dusty Daly was played at his funeral. The 15-year-old was killed in a horror plane crash alongside his cousins Luke and Benny Smith. Picture: Supplied.

All three were farewelled across several emotional funerals last month.

An Australian Transport Safety Bureau preliminary report revealed CCTV — located about 700m away — captured the plane going down behind a group of trees, before a “plume of dark smoke rose up above the trees” about 14 seconds later.

CCTV footage captured about 700m of the crash showed the plane falling behind a group of trees. Picture: ATSB

ATSB chief commissioner Angus Mitchell said the footage showed the plane making a series of turns before it went down.

“Footage from a camera located about 700m from the accident site shows the aircraft in a left turn, before it pitched nose down and descended in the left turn behind a tree line,” he said.

“ATSB transport safety investigators’ examination of the accident site identified the aircraft impacted flat and open terrain.”

According to the report the plane flew above Maffra for about four minutes before heading towards Tinamba West.

The length of the wreckage on the ground was about 30m, with part of the plane igniting upon impact.

The length of the wreckage on the ground was about 30m, with part of the plane igniting upon impact. Picture: ATSB

The ATSB also retrieved hardware and avionics from the wreckage and collected witness statements.

The investigation into the crash remains ongoing, with the full report and findings to be released at a later date.

This was the second deadly plane crash in Victoria within a three-week period, with Melbourne pilot Jack Miller fatally crashing his aircraft at the Bacchus Marsh airport in late October.