FLYING HAS BEEN A BIG PART OF OUR MARRIED LIFE — IAN CAMPBELL’S WIFE JANE SAID IT JUST WEEKS BEFORE THE HORR0R… NOW HER HUSBAND AND THEIR DAUGHTER HANNAH ARE DE-AD AFTER THEIR FINAL FLIGHT ENDED IN FLAMES
The founder of a popular dairy company and his daughter have been revealed as the victims of a light plane crash south of Brisbane on Monday.
Father and daughter Ian Campbell and Hannah Campbell died when a plane they were travelling in crashed shortly after 11am in a field in Stockleigh, in Logan, causing a grass fire.
Emergency services located two occupants of the aircraft, a 56-year-old man and a 23-year-old woman, both from Ascot. They were declared dead at the scene.
Ian Campbell’s family has been farming for generations. (Supplied)
The fourth-generation dairy farmer founded Barambah Organics, a family-owned dairy farming company in Queensland, alongside his wife, Jane.
The family still part-owns the company.
The Campbell family have been farmers for many generations and were based in the South Burnett region for more than 100 years.
Hannah Campbell. (Supplied)
More recently, the Campbell family founded Mañana Pastoral in the Goondiwindi region. The farm produces extra virgin olive oil, as well as grass-fed lamb and beef.
Goondiwindi mayor Lawrence Springborg said the family had the “support, prayers and … goodwill” of the community.
“This tragedy is unfathomable for so many people in the community and is very raw,” he said.
“We feel their grief deeply and what makes it also so hard is that the Campbell family were so generous in their support of the local community.”
Mr Springborg said the Campbell family had raised more than $70,000 for the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) and invested in agriculture.
“Ian and his daughter will be greatly missed. Our thoughts are with the family as they grieve.”
RFDS Queensland section chief executive Meredith Staib said the organisation was “deeply saddened” to hear of the deaths.
“The Campbell family have been treasured ambassadors of the RFDS, and their connection to supporting the delivery of world-class healthcare to regional Queenslanders ran far deeper than any title,” she said.
“Ian and Hannah will be dearly missed, and their contribution to the RFDS and to regional Queenslanders shall not be forgotten.”
ATSB investigators remain at the scene of the crash. (ABC News: Will Murray)
Federal Member for Maranoa and former Nationals leader David Littleproud knew Ian Campbell from his time in banking and said it was a “tragic loss”.
“There’s no words of comfort that any of us can give to the family in this hour of despair, but they should know that the community wants to wrap their arms around them and know that we’re there to support them,” he said.
Investigation into crash
In a statement, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) acting chief commissioner Colin McNamara said the six-seater Beechcraft A36 Bonanza departed from Archerfield Airport shortly before 11am and “collided with terrain in open ground” about 11:05am.
Eight Queensland Fire Department crews were on the scene to extinguish a fire caused by the crash.
Detailed circumstances of the crash are still being investigated by ATSB and the Queensland Police Service.
The plane crashed in the Stockleigh area shortly after 11am yesterday. (ABC News)
Mr McNamara said three ATSB investigators had been at the scene since Monday afternoon.
Those teams specialise in aircraft operations, maintenance and engineering.
Mr McNamara said he expected onsite activities gathering evidence and examining the wreckage to wrap up this afternoon.
“However, investigators will continue other evidence gathering activities including interviewing witnesses and involved parties, obtaining an analysing recorded data, and collecting aircraft maintenance and pilot records.
Mr McNamara urged any witnesses to come forward.
“Thank you to those witnesses who have already come forward to the ATSB, a number of whom have described the aircraft’s engine as sounding like it was running rough or spluttering, which is important information for our investigators,” he said.
Aircraft components will be sent for further examination at the ATSB’s technical facilities in Canberra.
