Woman’s heartbreaking post day before plane crash

Just one day before a tragic plane crash, Maree Kuhrt, 24, shared a photo showing off her baby bump as she and husband Rhiley, 22, were expecting in June.

Just days before a pilot and his pregnant wife were killed in a plane crash, he shared a video enjoying a ride over rural Queensland, while she shared a photo counting down the days of their baby girl’s birth.

Rhiley Kuhrt, 22, the son of a Mackay district police senior sergeant, and his wife Maree, 24, were expecting a little girl in June.

However, the “beautiful” couple’s lives were cut short when the light aircraft they were in crashed.

Bush pilot Rhiley Kuhrt shared a chilling last Facebook post before he and his wife were killed in a plane crash. Picture: Facebook

The pair took off in a white and green Piper Cherokee from cattle station Natal Downs, in North Queensland about 2pm on Sunday to attend a pregnancy appointment in Mackay.

They were due to arrive at Lakeside Airpark at Bloomsbury at 5pm, but the alarm was raised when they failed to arrive at their destination.

On Monday, after almost two days of searching, wreckage of the aircraft was located west of Prosperine and both occupants were pronounced dead at the scene.

Footage showed him flying over rural Queensland in a light aircraft days before the tragedy. Picture: Facebook

He regularly shared footage of his joy rides to social media. Picture: Facebook

Authorities said the plane faced harsh weather conditions ahead of the crash including rain, thunder and low visibility.

A spokesman for the Australian Maritime Safety Authority which was co-ordinating the search confirmed a QG Rescue helicopter had found the crash site in the Clarke ranges about 10.15am.

Mr and Mrs Kuhrt were months away from expecting a baby girl and just one day before the tragedy, Ms Kuhrt shared a photo to her Instagram showing off her baby bump.

“27 weeks now! Getting closer and closer to meeting baby girl,” she captioned the photo.

Maree shared this photo a day before the tragedy at 27 weeks. She wrote ‘getting closer and closer to meeting baby girl’. Picture: Instagram

The couple had recently married and honeymooned in the Whitsundays.

Ms Kuhrt had a great passion for horses, while Mr Kuhrt, who was head stockman and pilot at Nerrigundah station, had a passion for flying.

The 22-year-old would regularly share footage of his experiences online.

In a post shared to Facebook on March 30, he wrote: “Wick afternoon run over the sorghum harvest and a bit of fun”.

Another clip showed him in a light aircraft with his several dogs in the back as he laughed and smiled into the camera.

Mr Kuhrt bought the white and green Piper Cherokee just six months before he and his wife crashed in remote bushland on Monday afternoon.

He also revealed his plans to buy another aircraft to “match” his Piper Cherokee on Facebook last November.

The pair were expecting their little girl in June. Picture: Facebook

Friends of the couple have taken to social media to express their shock and heartache over the tragic news.

“Taken to soon, You will be missed. Thinking of your family’s at this time,” one person wrote.

“You were the biggest part of my life everyday for 5 years in highschool this is absolutely heart shattering my heart goes out to your family not long ago you were congratulating me on the birth of my son and I couldn’t wait for you to meet him rip,” another friend wrote.

Maree had a great passion for horses. Picture: Instagram

A work friend of Mrs Kuhrt said: “You were honestly a beautiful couple and deserved nothing but happiness.

“But that got taken away from you all of a sudden.

“You were going to be parents in a short amount of time I will cherish the memories and moments we had working together last year love you both to the moon and back (sic).”

Rhiley was head stockman and pilot at Nerrigundah station. Picture: Facebook

It is understood Maree was due to attend a medical appointment at Proserpine Hospital. Picture: Instagram

The desperate search for the missing couple was launched by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority’s Joint Rescue Coordination Centre on Sunday.

CQ Rescue — two helicopters and a fixed-wing aircraft — involved in the search took flight just before 8.30pm and completed an aerial search around the airpark but failed to find any trace of the missing aircraft.

The search to find the missing plane took almost two days. Wreckage of the aircraft was located west of Prosperine on Monday morning. Picture: Facebook/RACQ CQ Rescue

According to RACQ, concerned family members raised the alarm after the aircraft failed to arrive at the airfield at its designated time of 5pm.

Bureau of Meteorology duty forecaster Ricus Lombard said search teams had to contend with poor and wet conditions.

Grab from Flightaware shows rescue flight searching for the missing plane. Picture: Flightaware

“It’s easing … (but the) potential with showers and storms. There is a fair bit of cloud as well,” Mr Lombard said on Sunday.

“There’s a weak trough just to the north so there is some shower and storm in the area.”

An AMSA spokesman said the search had resumed the following day before the wreckage of the plane was found at 10.15am (AEST) on Monday.

“A crash site was located in the Clarke Ranges west of Proserpine by QG Air Rescue helicopter based in Townsville,” the spokesman said.

“An aircraft located at the crash site is confirmed to be the light aircraft that was reported missing after leaving Natal Downs Station in Queensland yesterday afternoon.

“Queensland Police are co-ordinating with next of kin.”