TRIBUTES FLOWING FOR MALE PILOT AND MALE PASSENGER KILLED IN LIGHT PLANE CRASH IN VICTORIAS NORTH-EAST: Tributes are flowing for a pilot and his passenger who were killed when their light plane crashed and burst into flames at Shepparton Airport on Friday. The dead pilot has been named as 59-year-old businessman John Pendergast. The father-of-three has been described as a vibrant and passionate man who had years of flying experience. Flying has been in his blood. He was accomplished, and had been flying for many years, the family member said. He had a passion for anything he undertook. He was extremely generous with his time and support for people, the relative said. He always gave someone the time of day. He was also very successful in business. It was believed Mr Pendergast was heading with a friend to his holiday home near Yarrawonga for a family holiday. But disaster struck shortly after the 2pm takeoff. The plane cartwheeled across the airfield, ploughing through a perimeter fence and coming to rest in a ditch on the nearby Goulburn Valley Highway. Local pilot Keith said the plane got into difficulty just seconds after takeoff. The takeoff was normal until it got about 30m above the ground, Keith told radio station 3AW. Then it pitched up rapidly, dropped its right wing, turned right angles to the runway, crashed through the perimeter fence ... and then caught fire. An Australian Transport Safety Bureau spokesman says a team of four investigators are inspecting the crash site. The cause of the crash has yet to be determined.
Posted on: Sat, 26 Oct 2013 08:15:09 +0000
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