Pilot dies as joyflight turns to tragedy

A birthday flight that went “horribly wrong” has cost a safety-­conscious pilot his life as a search continues for his female passenger.

Marcel van Hattem, 52, with his Russian-made Yak 52. Picture: Facebook

A birthday flight that went “horribly wrong” has cost a safety-­conscious pilot his life, as a search continues to locate his female passenger.

Pilot Marcel van Hattem, 52, had taken Trista Applebee, on the scenic tour on Wednesday morning to celebrate her 32nd birthday, which would have been yesterday.

But the flight in a Russian-made Yak 52 failed to return, and three hours later the Southport Flying Club alerted air traffic control, which raised the alarm with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority.

The search for the missing Yak-52 plane. Picture: Nigel Hallett.

A search by AMSA, police and volunteer groups soon discovered debris on the South Stradbroke Island shoreline, which was confirmed as coming from the Yak 52.

Late yesterday police found a deceased man, believed to be the pilot, in wreckage off the island.

The officer-in-charge of Gold Coast Water Police, Senior Sergeant Jay Notaro, said the missing passenger, Ms Applebee, was a local resident and the mother of an 11-year-old girl.

“It actually was a birthday flight. The pilot was known to (the passenger) and was providing the flight for her as part of her birthday celebrations,” Sergeant Notaro said.

Also the aircraft owner, Mr van Hattem was a well known member of the Southport Flying Club and considered very experienced.

Club president Neil Aitkenhead said it appeared something had gone “horribly wrong” during the flight.

“It’s a tragedy we don’t need,” Mr Aitkenhead said.

Trista Applebee, who was given the flight as a 32nd birthday present.

Deborah Toussaint, who met Mr van Hattem on a dating site earlier this year, said she had flown with him just six weeks ago, and felt completely at ease in the Yak 52.

“He does tricks and all this fancy stuff but he wasn’t a maverick, he wasn’t a skylarker, he was always very safety conscious.”

She said she was still coming to terms with his loss but knew that he wouldn’t have wanted to go any other way.

“I know that he died doing what he loved,” said Ms Toussaint.

Mr van Hattem’s German shepherd dog lay forlornly at the gates of his Ormeau home yesterday with a football, awaiting his owner’s return.

Australian Warbirds and Vintage Aircraft Association president Gill Vardi said the Yak 52 was a “terribly reliable and very well built” aircraft that was used for training entry-level pilots in the Russian military.

“It’s very rare to have mechanical failure of the engine although it does have a few vices. At low speed, if not managed well it has poor stall characteristics,” he said.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau launched a formal investigation into a “collision with water” by the Yak 52.

The search for Ms Applebee was suspended last night but will resume at first light today. Police have notified Mr van Hattem’s two teenage sons in the Netherlands.