Katherine Aviation pilot confirmed as one of two fatalities in Christmas Eve light plane crash

The aviation safety watchdog has identified the charter plane, which went missing and crashed on Christmas Eve in the Territory.

A Katherine Aviation charter flight on a CESSNA 210 was declared missing on December 24 after it failed to arrive at Tindal Airport after leaving Gove Airport at 8.30am.

The aviation safety watchdog has released its initial observations from a horror light plane crash in dense Territory bushland.

A Katherine Aviation charter flight was declared missing on December 24 after it failed to arrive at Tindal Airport after leaving Gove Airport at 8.30am.

It took two days for NT Police to reach the isolated wreckage, near Bulman 240km north east of Katherine.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau said the light plane was “destroyed” on impact.

Rhys Annis-Brown, the 23-year-old Katherine Aviation pilot, and his 43-year-old female passenger did not survive.

A Katherine Aviation spokeswoman said the company could not comment at this time.

The ATSB released the identification code of the single-engine light plane, confirming the Cessna 210N’s call sign was VH-TFT.

The ATSB said the investigation into the crash was ongoing.

“A final report will be released at the conclusion of the investigation,” it said.

“Should a critical safety issue be identified during the investigation, the ATSB will immediately notify relevant parties, so that appropriate safety action can be taken.”

A Katherine Aviation charter flight on a CESSNA 210 was declared missing on December 24 after it failed to arrive at Tindal Airport after leaving Gove Airport at 8.30am.

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority aircraft register said the Cessna 210N VH-TFT was manufactured in 1979, making it 43 years old at the time of the crash.

NT Police have also called for witnesses to help track the plane’s final movements across Arnhem Land.

On Tuesday, Senior Sergeant Paul Lawson said police were now looking for witnesses between Nhulunbuy and 50km north of Bulman who spotted the Cessna 210N from takeoff at 8.15am until the crash at 10.30am on December 24.

“The public has already provided us with some valuable information and I want to thank those people who have contacted us,” Sergeant Lawson said.

Sergeant Lawson said anyone with information should call 131 444, and quote the reference number 10212740.

The light plane crash was one of three horror aviation disaster in the Territory in just 12 months, with Norman Fisher and Outback Wrangler Chris ‘Willow’ Wilson killed in separate helicopter crashes in 2022.