Chopper crash - anyone know anything ?

[bcp]

Two killed in Queensland chopper crash
September 9, 2004 - 8:12AM


Two people have died in a helicopter crash on a property in south-west Queensland.

A police spokeswoman said the four-seat privately owned chopper was believed to have been carrying two men - a pilot and a passenger.

The helicopter had taken off yesterday for a flight around the property near Mitchell and was due back at 6.30pm.

But it failed to return.

Police began searching for it at first light today.

They found the wreckage around 7am today about 1.5 km past a runway on the property.

A Bureau of Air Safety spokesman confirmed two bodies were found in the wreckage.

AAP

[TAY 611]

It was a R44 though no idea how it happened. Knew one of the blokes killed, did a London trip with him recently (GIV), he was a top guy and a very professional aviator. He will be sadly missed here in NZ.

[jupiter2]

Does anyone can have any further information on the cause of the accident?
I believe it was a new helicopter.

Justin was one of the nice guys......

[TheStormyPetrel]

Rotorheads has a bit more here (http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?threadid=144110)

And also Cattle king dies in chopper crash
18:13 AEST Fri Sep 10 2004

Cattle king Brian Oxenford died doing what he loved best - working on his vast outback property.

One of Australia's largest private landholders, Mr Oxenford, 74, was killed in a helicopter crash on Eurella station in south-west Queensland on Wednesday night.

Long-time friend Bill Benjamin said Mr Oxenford was a private man who never flaunted his wealth and achievements.

"He was very quiet and very humble. He never liked to fuss," he said.

"He never forgot where he was from and had mates who were ringers and mates who were in the hierarchy of the industry."

Mr Oxenford's climb to wealth started on his parents' dairy farm on the Gold Coast.

After being educated on the Gold Coast and at Gatton College, he built up the farm and also dabbled in hotels and development on the Gold Coast.

The area where the Oxenford farm was is now a Gold Coast suburb that bears his name.

In the 1970s, Mr Oxenford started buying stations in the former Vesty cattle empire in Queensland and the Northern Territory.

Over the years he purchased more properties, the latest being two former Stanbroke stations - Rocklands and Tambar.

At the time of his death, Mr Oxenford, through his family company Western Grazing, had landholdings of around three million hectares.

Properties included Wave Hill Station in the Northern Territory - the second-largest cattle station in Australia.

Mr Benjamin said Mr Oxenford always had a tremendous capacity for work and inspired fierce loyalty among his staff.

"He was a hell of an achiever," he said.

"His properties were something that he took great pride in.

"He was a great improver of the places. They were in shipshape order, the whole lot of them."

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau is investigating the crash on the property near Mitchell.

The four-seat Robinson R44 helicopter was piloted by 37-year-old Justin Wallace, who also died in the crash.

Mr Oxenford is survived by his wife Alva and four married daughters and grandchildren. from ninemsn (http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=18098) plus ABC online (http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200409/s1196091.htm)

[TIMMEEEE]

Just attended Justin's funeral.
Some 600 people in attendance.
Very disappointing turn out from his ex colleagues from Ansett at only 3 or so, especially seeing that others flew in from as far as London and Hong Kong to pay their last respects.

And yes as stated, he was one of the good guys and will be missed by all of his friends and family.

[muddergoose]

It usually is the good guys that succumb to their mortality: from my experience.