WorkSafe agrees to investigate horror plane crash that killed cameraman James Rose and pilot Stephen Gale
A year on from the horror plane crash that killed cameraman James Rose, his family is a step closer to getting answers.
South East
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A year on from the horror plane crash that killed cameraman James Rose, a new investigation into the accident has been launched.
Jetworks Aviation pilot Stephen Gale, 56, and cameraman James Rose, 30 were killed when the fighter jet they were flying in collided with another aircraft and crashed into Port Philip Bay near Mt Martha on November 19, 2023.
In September, a court heard the pair of fighter jets were trying to recreate the iconic scene from the movie Top Gun when the crash occurred.
Mr Rose’s family has been fighting for answers since the crash, calling for a coronial inquest and a WorkSafe investigation.
On Monday, his father David Rose made a public plea to mark the anniversary of his son’s death.
“12 months ago, our son James Rose lost his life while working and filming the project Any Fool Can Fly,” he said.
“Despite clear evidence of his professional role, WorkSafe has not investigated the incident, citing it as the jurisdiction of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA).
“This has allowed appalling claims that James was on a ‘joy flight’ to go unchallenged.”
He said he was “urgently” calling for a WorkSafe investigation to give the family the “transparency and peace we so desperately seek”.
Hours after Mr Rose begged for answers WorkSafe announced it would investigate the crash.
Mr Rose’s family were told to expect a report in February.
“WorkSafe Victoria has received a request relating to an alleged contravention of the Occupational Health and Safety Act and is investigating the matters raised,” a spokeswoman for the authority said.
Mr Rose said the family welcomed the WorkSafe decision.
“All I wated was for someone to look out for my son and WorkSafe’s actions go some way towards that,” he said.
The Herald Sun has been told Mr Rose’s partner Emma Belton has already received a compensation payout through WorkSafe.
In September, Mr Rose applied for a coronial inquest into his son’s death.
He hoped it would determine if “adhering to a script” had led to the crash and why there appeared to be no proper risk assessment conducted by the production company.
The accident was investigated by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau which found Mr Gale put the two jets at higher risk of colliding by performing a move for “a good filming opportunity” without warning the crew in the second jet.
However, Mr Rose had concerns about the incident that were not “fully ventilated” in the ATSB’s final report, which was handed down in July.
A decision is yet to be made on whether an inquest would be held.
A spokeswoman for the Coroner said the court could not comment on an active investigation.
“We cannot confirm if an inquest will be held as part of an investigation until dates are set and all parties notified,” she said.
“There are currently no further hearing dates for this matter.”