A Port Lincoln pilot who tragically lost his life in a plane crash on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula is being remembered as a devoted father, husband, and a cherished member of his community.
Jarred Wait, 36, died yesterday afternoon when his crop-dusting plane crashed in Yeelanna, north of Cummins.Â
“An event of this nature will have repercussions not only locally but also across the industry,” stated Angus Mitchell from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB).
“Rural communities like this, any type of fatality has a very lasting and hard hitting impact on the community.”
Wait’s single-occupant aircraft hit a paddock approximately 15 kilometres north of the aerodrome in Yeelanna during agricultural spraying operations.
The aircraft, operated by Aerotech, crashed into a crop, flipping upside down metres from a power pole.Â
“Aerotech expresses its profound sympathies to the family and friends of our colleague,” the company said in a statement.
“We are supporting the wellbeing of those immediately impacted by this incident, including our staff.”
In addition to assisting SA Police and the ATSB, Aerotech is conducting its own investigation into the fatal crash.
The ATSB has initiated an inquiry into the crash to investigate the sequence of events that led to it and whether the aircraft might have encountered any obstacles, such as power lines.
“Our responsibility is to uncover what happened, why it happened, and then take steps to ensure that other families and coworkers do not have to endure this in the future,” Mitchell explained.
“We’ll aim to put out a preliminary report in about two months’ time and hopefully that’ll have the sequence of events,” he added.
