Male pilot dead after plane crash at Redesdale

A man has died after his aircraft went up in flames on a large property near Castlemaine.

A man has died in a light aircraft crash in Redesdale, Victoria. Picture: Supplied.

A pilot has died in a “massive ball of flames” after his aircraft crashed into a paddock near Castlemaine.

Nearby resident Ashley Scott told the Herald Sun he raced to the scene after he heard a large bang.

He said he saw a parachute before hearing a loud explosion.

Rushing to his car and calling Triple-0, he raced to the scene only to find a mangled wreck in a “massive ball of flames”.

A male pilot has died after a plane crash at Redesdale.

Mr Scott drove around the crash site hoping to find a survivor after seeing the parachute deploy but soon realised there was nothing he could do.

The plane went down in a 234ha property at Redesdale at 12.30pm on Friday.

Police blocked access to a rural property on Coliban Park Rd as investigations began, with Crime Scene Services arriving at the scene about 3.40pm.

SES are on the scene of a fatal plane crash at Redesdale. Picture: Gianni Francis.

The pilot was the only person in the aircraft, which is understood to have initially taken off from Penfield Airfield Sunbury before briefly stopping at Melton Aerodrome.

It was then set to head to Kyneton Airport when it crashed.

A source said the aircraft was “cruising and then it started coming down”.

Police will prepare a report for the Coroner.

An Australian Transport Safety Bureau spokesperson said the crash was “not within their remit”.

“The ATSB has been notified of this accident, which involved an aircraft on the recreational register,” the spokesperson said.

“In line with its remit, the ATSB does not investigate accidents and incidents involving most recreational, ultralight and sports aviation aircraft.”

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority has been contacted for comment.

It’s understood the light aircraft may have taken off from Melton Aerodome. Picture: Gianni Francis.

A WorkSafe spokesperson said the safety body was “not across the incident” at this stage but could be called into investigate if there was an issue on the ground.

There has been one other aircraft crash in Victoria this year — a glider on April 27 at Mount Beauty.

Pilot Greig Wanless and passenger Kate Callingham had been flying to scatter the ashes of his best mate Max Callingham, who was also Ms Callingham’s father.

Greig Wanless was scattering the ashes of his best mate when his plane went down. Picture: Supplied.

Ms Callingham, 39, who had a five-and-a-half month old baby, and Mr Wanless were involved in a special memorial for him before taking to the air.

In November last year, an aero-adventure between two mates to kickstart Sunday morning ended in tragedy after their gyrocopter crashed in central Victoria, leaving one dead.

The tragedy unfolded about 7.15am as the pair travelled through Goulburn Weir, just north of Nagambie, when their light aircraft crash-landed into a paddock along Snipey Rd.