An experienced pilot and his two teenage passengers have been found dead after a light plane on a scenic flight crashed into the ocean off the South Australian coast.
An experienced pilot and his two teenage passengers have been found dead after a light plane on a scenic flight crashed into the ocean off the South Australian coast.
The aircraft crashed into the ocean in Long Bay, near Goolwa South, just before 4.30pm local time (5pm AEDT) in front of several beachgoers, which sparked a major emergency response.
Police have since recovered the bodies of all three men who were on board - 57-year-old pilot Leo Howard and his 18-year-old and 19-year-old passengers.
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The trio were on a scenic flight over one of the state's most picturesque places, where the Murray River meets the ocean near the Fleurieu Peninsula town of Goolwa.
Howard was an experienced pilot in both regular flights and aerobatic flying.
His sister described him as a loved son, father and brother.
The Cessna 210 Centurian involved in the crash is a single-engine aircraft and part of a small fleet operated by local charter and training company Goolwa Air.
The wreckage of the light plane has been brought to shore.
Investigators from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau will now try to determine what went wrong.
A focus of the investigation will be how Howard appeared to lose all control in the final moments, as well as the 40-year-old aircraft's flight and maintenance history.
A report will also be prepared for the coroner.
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