THEY SPENT THEIR LIVES HELPING OTHERS — NOW A HEARTBROKEN COMMUNITY IS RALLYING AROUND THEIR FAMILY: FATHER IAN CAMPBELL AND DAUGHTER HANNAH REMEMBERED AFTER H0RRIFIC PLANE CRASH
Dairy company founder Ian Campbell and daughter Hannah have been identified as the victims of a light plane crash south of Brisbane.
The bodies of the 56-year-old and 23-year-old, both from Ascot in Brisbane, were found in the burning wreckage on Monday near Musch Road in the Logan suburb of Stockleigh.
About 10 minutes after taking off from Archerfield Airport shortly after 11am, the Beechcraft A36 Bonanza in which they were travelling crashed into a paddock and erupted in flames, sparking a grass fire.
Campbell, the founder of Barambah Organics, and his daughter were the only occupants of the plane.
The family recently featured in regional media, where they were described as Goondiwindi farmers, pilots and ambassadors for the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
The Maranoa Today article also said Ian Campbell completed his pilot training in 1999.
Campbell founded Barambah Organics with his wife, Jane, and the family also ran Manana Pastoral, which produced grassfed lamb and olives.
On August 22, the Campbells were involved in a fundraiser for the Flying Doctors at Archerfield. They then completed the Kokoda Track to raise money for the service.
From our partners
The Royal Flying Doctor Service said it was deeply saddened by the news, noting the pair had raised more than $75,000 for the organisation when they competed in the Outback Air Race.
“Ian’s spirit was one of warmth, generosity and genuine care for others – for the regional, rural and remote communities the RFDS serves, and for the people fortunate enough to know him,” it said.
“Hannah shared that same spirit, walking alongside her parents in support of a cause the family believed in deeply.
“Our hearts go out to Jane, and to the entire Campbell family, in this unimaginable loss.”
Related Article
Updated
Aviation
Man and woman killed in plane crash as witness reports ‘spluttering’
Goondiwindi Mayor Lawrence Springborg said the family had been a prominent part of his community for 20 years, even though they were now based in Brisbane.
He said Ian and Hannah’s death, in their prime and in tragic circumstances, would be quite incomprehensible for many people.
“There’s so much goodwill, there are so many prayers, and there are so many thoughts of reassurance from our community,” Springborg said.
“People obviously feel very keenly the grief that can never be to the extent that the family feels it, and the people are very much aware of that.”
Springborg said the Campbells were an outstanding family and the loss would be felt in the community.
“The Campbell family, since they’ve made their investments in our community quite a number of years ago, were extraordinarily generous, very well appreciated, and certainly extraordinarily regarded for their support of local events,” he said.
A resident who reported seeing the crash on Monday said it sounded like the plane was struggling before it hit the ground.
“It was flying directly over our house, quite low, and it was spluttering, so it was clear that there were some engine issues,” Eldjie Cojocaru told Seven News.
“I saw it bank and it went down, and then I heard a … bang.”
Firefighters took about an hour to gain control of a fire at the crash site, and a tree stump continued smouldering for hours.
Logan district police officer Chief Superintendent Mel Adams appealed for anyone who saw the plane in the air or who witnessed the crash to come forward.
“It was a very confronting scene, as you can imagine,” she said.
“What I would ask is for anybody who heard the aircraft, saw the aircraft in the air before it crashed in the Stockleigh area … please, as a matter of priority, contact police.”
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau sent three investigators to the scene.
It asked anyone with video footage of the plane or the crash to send it to investigators via its website: atsb.gov.au/witness.
SOURCE: https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/father-and-daughter-identified-as-plane-crash-victims-20260908-p60vau.html
