Helicopter victims: Radfords chairman Paul Troja, AXIchain’s Linda Woodford, Ian Perry, Nicholas Vasudeva killed
Tributes flow for four ag industry heavyweights and a pilot who lost their lives in a tragic accident during a ‘routine’ flight.
All five passengers killed in Thursday’s helicopter accident on Mt Disappointment have been identified, as tributes flow from family, friends and colleagues across the meat industry.
Ag First Capital co-founder Nicholas Vasudeva, from NSW, was the final victim to be named today, in a statement released by chief executive Justin Harrison and managing director Lawrence Frawley.
They said Mr Vasudeva had been on the helicopter as part of a “routine property inspection with his colleagues”.
The crash also claimed the life of Radfords chairman and meat industry stalwart Paul Troja, 73, AXIchain founder and chief executive Linda Woodford, 50, AXIchain finance consultant Ian Perry, 59, and the pilot, 32-year-old Dean Neal.
Mr Vasudeva was described as an “inspiring individual, with a storied career” by his colleagues.
“He was a true gentleman with a great sense of humour who was well loved by all his colleagues, associates and family and will be missed dearly.
“Our most heartfelt condolences to his wife, and three children, extended family and friends as well as the families of the four people who lost their lives,” Mr Harrison and Mr Frawley said in the statement.
Friends, family and colleagues paid tribute to Ms Woodford, describing her as a “driven visionary and an eternal optimist” who would be “deeply missed by all that knew her”.
The Inverloch entrepreneur founded AXIchain in 2018, to improve market access and traceability in the red meat supply chain.
Mr Perry had a distinguished career in agribusiness, working across the sector in leadership roles for Ruralco, Nutrien and ANZ.
Mr Perry’s family released a statement saying they were “devastated and lost for words”.
“He will be remembered as a loving husband, a caring dad, son, and brother, and a genuine friend to so many. His warm smile and joyful presence will have a lasting impact on his friends, family, and co-workers both here in Australia and across the globe,” the statement said.
“We appreciate your love and caring thoughts, and we send ours back to you for your loss as well as ours.”
R Radford & Son chairman Paul Troja, 73, was also on board the chartered chopper that was destined for Ulupna, but came down in the Great Dividing Range about 80km north of Melbourne.
Radfords released a statement saying the entire board and staff were saddened by the “tragic loss”.
“Paul, a stalwart in the global meat industry, has consulted to our business for over five years and become the inaugural chairman of our board when it was formed in 2019,” the statement said.
“He has served our company with distinction during this time, is a close friend of our owner Robert Radford and a respected member of our leadership team.
“Paul played an integral role in Radfords obtaining its Tier 1 export licence and its expansion into international markets.
“Our condolences are with his wife, Ann, children, grandchildren and members of his extended family, who were treasured by him, and friends at this time and with the family and friends of the other people involved in this accident.”
Mr Troja had worked in the meat industry since 1969, starting his career at Riverstone Meat company where he was a part of a management development program.
He had been managing director of Rockdale Beef, a non-executive director of Meat and Livestock Australia and a managing director of a meat industry supply chain company prior to taking the role of chairman of Radfords.
They victims were part of a larger party of 11 who were travelling to Victoria’s North East to visit a livestock property run by Southern Prime Meat Company, which chartered the flight.
A second helicopter with six passengers on board landed safely.
Southern Prime Meat Company released a statement saying its staff were “deeply shocked and devastated” and extended its condolences to the families affected. “We will continue to co-operate with the relevant authorities as part of the ongoing investigation,” the statement said.
Radfords commercial manager Paul Scanlon said the tragedy was a huge shock for staff and his colleagues, and made it a “trying time for everyone in the meat industry”.
Police said they believed the flight had taken off from Moorabbin Airport before picking up passengers in Melbourne’s Batman Park about 7am on Thursday.
Emergency response crews located the wreckage near Blair’s Hut about 11.45am.
The search for survivors turned into a recovery mission late Thursday, with the pilot and four passengers confirmed dead at about 7.30pm.
The search and recovery operation was now in its third day.
On Friday, SES and DELWP workers cleared a path to the crash site with bulldozers and an excavator.
The cause of the crash was yet to be determined and would be investigated by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.
Join the conversation
One of Australia’s biggest Wagyu operations hits the market
A unique offering that includes everything from land to cattle to a genetics inventory and cold-storage infrastructure is expected to generate significant interest — and multimillion-dollar bids.
Read more
July rainfall comes to the rescue
Widespread rain across Victoria and southern NSW has lifted farmer confidence, boosting livestock prices and giving crops a much-needed shot at recovery.
Read more