THE pilot from the ill-fated 2008 “Merauke Five” flight has tragically been killed in a plane crash in North Queensland.
William Scott-Bloxam, 73, and his 63-year-old passenger
were killed when his twin-engine 44 Angel aircraft went down in a cornfield near the Mareeba Airport shortly after 11am today.Mr Scott-Bloxam and his wife Vera were among a group of five who sparked an international incident in 2008 when a trip to the Papuan town of Merauke went horribly wrong.The trip – which was part sightseeing and part business – went awry when Indonesian authorities detained the group for entering without a visa.After initially being told they could pay a fine, the five Queenslanders were jailed and sentenced to terms of imprisonment of between two and three years.Their convictions were eventually overturned by the High Court, but they would spend nine months in detention before being allowed to return to Australia.“I feel like a goldfish that has escaped a pool of piranhas,’’ Mr Scott-Bloxam told
The Courier-Mail after touching down on Horn Island in Torres Strait in 2009.
``It’s hard to imagine that you end up in the highest court in the land for a misdemeanour case.”At the time, the Federal Government was criticised for doing more to help convicted drug trafficker Schapelle Corby than the five Queenslanders.Today, the plane Mr Scott-Bloxam bought on his return to Australia – a rare Angel Aircraft Corporation twin-engine that is the only one of its kind in the country – crashed into the ground.
Emergency Services are on scene at a light plane crash at Rays Rd near the Mareeba Aerodrome on Saturday. Picture: Bronwyn WheatcroftPolice confirmed a 73-year-old Cooktown man – the pilot – and his passenger, a 63-year-old from Stuart, died at the scene of the crash.Forensic Crash Unit investigators were on scene and police will prepare a report for the coroner.
Witnesses spoke of hearing the plane struggle as it flew overhead.
“I heard the aircraft, the engines were missing and back firing,” one witness posted to social media.
In a post on their Facebook page, the FNQ Aviation Museum said the aircraft was very rare.
“Our hearts go out to the two souls lost on today’s aircraft crash at Mareeba,” the post said.
“The Angel aircraft was unique and the only (of its) type in Australia and believed to have been one of few left in the world.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with their friends and family.”The Australian Transport Safety Bureau released a statement saying a team of investigators from Brisbane and Canberra were planning to travel to Mareeba to examine the wreckage and crash site.“As part of the investigation, ATSB investigators will also interview any witnesses, review aircraft and pilot records and weather information and conduct data recovery,” the statement said.Anyone who saw the crash should contact the ATSB on 1800 992 986.