The Albion Park community is mourning husband and wife Andrew and Julieanne Connors, and their family friend Colin McLaughlin.

Investigators are meticulously documenting the spot where three lives were lost as locals pay their respects with flowers. 

They trio were on board a light plane bound for Bathurst yesterday morning when it crashed at Shellharbour Airport in Albion Park.

They’re being remembered as pillars of the community.

Andrew’s mates in the construction industry offered condolences to the Connors and McLaughlin families.

“You genuinely embraced life in its entirety, leaving a significant impression on everyone fortunate to have encountered you,” stated City Building Approvals.

Andrew and Julieanne ran Tumut Valley Holiday Park in the Snowy Mountains.

Those who worked there with them called them “visionary leaders”.

“Their legacy will continue to inspire us as we carry forward the values they embodied,” she said.

After meticulously documenting the site, the aircraft is now being removed for a comprehensive investigation, with a final determination on the crash’s cause expected only after several months.

The Piper Cherokee Lance was built in 1975 and owned by the Connors family since 2013.

Its maintenance records and flight history are now crucial evidence.