THEIR LAST MOMENTS IN THE SKY — BUSINESSMAN, 56, & DAUGHTER, 23, D!:3 IN HORROR CRASH
‘DEARLY MISSED’ Businessman, 56, and daughter, 23, killed in horror plane crash minutes after take-off as cops probe cause of smash
A DAIRY businessman and his daughter have been killed after their plane crashed into a field minutes after take-off, sparking a major grass fire.
Ian Campbell, 56, and Hannah, 23, were found dead inside the wreckage of their six-seater light aircraft on a rural property just south of Brisbane.
Ian Campbell, 56, ran a popular dairy business in Queensland, Australia
His daughter Hannah, 23, was found alongside him in the wreckage
Cops have launched a probe into the cause of the horror crash, with experts analysing the plane’s shattered parts.
The Beechcraft A36 Bonanza took off from an airport in south Brisbane shortly before 11am on Monday.
Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) chief Colin McNamara said: “The aircraft collided with terrain in open ground at Stockleigh at about 11.05am.”
Queensland Police Chief Superintendent Mel Adams said the site was “confronting” for emergency responders.
Eight fire crews rushed to extinguish a large grass fire sparked by the crash.
The plane came down near several houses, but no one on the ground was injured and no other property was damaged.
One horrified local said he witnessed the plane cutting through trees before hearing a “big boom”, followed by a “huge plume of smoke”.
They commented that the plane was flying unusually low and “was just not sounding very healthy at all”.
The plane crashed into a field shortly after 11am yesterday
Investigators are analysing the Beechcraft A36 Bonanza involved in the crash
Three ATSB specialists were deployed to the scene to gather evidence and examine the wreckage.
Investigators have also been recovering equipment, such as avionics and GPS units, to help determine the cause of the crash.
The bureau said that several witnesses described the sound of the engine as “running rough or spluttering” before it came down.
A preliminary report into the circumstances of the crash is expected in eight weeks.
Ian, a fourth-generation farmer, founded the popular dairy company Barambah Organics with his wife, Jane.
The Campbell family have been farmers for several generations and were based in South Burnett, a Queensland region just north of Brisbane, for more than 100 years.
They had recently founded Mañana Pastoral in the Goondiwindi region, producing extra virgin olive oil, as well as grass-fed beef and lamb.
Goondiwindi mayor Lawrence Springborg said: “This tragedy is unfathomable for so many people in the community and is very raw.
“Ian and his daughter will be greatly missed. Our thoughts are with the family as they grieve.”
He added that the family had the “support, prayers and goodwill” of the community.
Springborg said the family raised more than $70,000 (£37,000) for the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) and invested in local agriculture.
RFDS Queensland section chief executive Meredith Staib said: “The Campbell family have been treasured ambassadors of the RFDS.
“Their connection to supporting the delivery of world-class healthcare to regional Queenslanders ran far deeper than any title.
“Ian and Hannah will be dearly missed, and their contribution to the RFDS and to regional Queenslanders shall not be forgotten.”
