BIRTHDAY HORROR
Boyfriend at airstrip raised alarm when plane didn’t return Tributes for Southport club pilot who loved life
IT was supposed to be a birthday treat – a scenic flight aboard a vintage aircraft over the idyllic South Stradbroke Island coast.
But when the half-hour flight hadn’t returned after three hours, Trista Applebee’s boyfriend, who was waiting at the airfield, raised the alarm.
The body of pilot Marcel van Hattem, 52, was yesterday pulled from the wreckage of his Yak-52 aircraft following an extensive sea and air search. Ms Applebee, 31, (inset) remains missing.
Tributes yesterday poured in for Mr van Hattem (above), described as a “real character’’ who loved to fly.
A FRIEND of a woman feared dead in a plane crash was the one to raise the alarm when the Soviet-era aircraft failed to return on schedule.
Trista Applebee, 31, boarded the flight on Wednesday as an early birthday present. Her friend waited at the Southport Flying Club at Coombabah as the young mother of an 11-year-old girl and plane owner Marcel van Hattem, 52, took off in the two seater about 10am.
The body of Mr van Hattem was found yesterday afternoon in wreckage of the plane pulled from the bottom of the ocean off the coast of South Stradbroke Island. The search for Ms Applebee continued into the night.
The scenic flight was due back at 10.30am. Ms Applebee’s friend waited until about 1pm when he was approached and asked by a member of the flying club if he was OK.
“He said he was waiting for his girlfriend who had been on a flight that took off at 10am and was only supposed to go for half an hour,” Southport Flying Club aerodrome manager Steve Rance said. “That’s when one of our members raised the alarm and we contacted Airservices (Australia)”.
By 2pm Surf Life Saving Queensland were called to assist. The Westpac Life Saver Rescue helicopter was put in the air and a number of jet skis searched on water.
Police were notified at 2.30pm and joined the search. By 5.30pm they had found part of the plane’s propeller near Jumpinpin at the top of South Stradbroke Island.
More debris was uncovered throughout yesterday morning; police locating a part of the fuselage on the beach and other parts
floating in the ocean.
Mr Rance said Mr van Hattem was a well-respected member of the club and as is general practice, made a radio call to the airfield shortly before taking off.
“He just said he was going to go to Jumpinpin for some aerobatic work,” Mr Rance said.
It could be months until the exact circumstances behind the crash become apparent, with the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) now launching its investigation into the accident.
“The ATSB has launched an investigation into Wednesday’s collision with water involving a Yakovlev Yak-52, registered VHPAE, near South Stradbroke Island, Queensland,” an ATSB spokesman said.
“As part of its investigation the ATSB is deploying three transport safety investigators to begin inspecting recovered aircraft wreckage.
“ATSB investigators will also interview involved parties and collect other relevant evidence and information. A report will be released at the conclusion of the investigation.
“However, should a critical safety issue be identified during the course of the investigation, the ATSB will immediately notify relevant parties so appropriate action can be taken.”
Search and rescue co-ordinator Senior-Sergeant Jay Notaro yesterday said: “There’s been no contact or confirmed sighting of the plane since that time (takeoff).
“(The search) is a collaborative effort between the Queensland water police, police divers, polair, Surf Life Saving Queensland, volunteer marine rescue groups, South Stradbroke Island park ranger and the joint rescue co-ordination centre in Canberra.
“We have located debris at different locations. It is quite a
HE JUST SAID HE WAS GOING TO GO TO JUMPINPIN FOR SOME AEROBATIC WORK AERODROME MANAGER STEVE RANCE
large search area, which actually spans the whole of South Stradbroke Island and up to north.”
Sen-Sgt Notaro said the gap between when police were involved in the search and when the plane was reported missing will form part of the investigation by the ATSB.
Police are asking for any witnesses who may have seen the plane on Wednesday to come forward and also if anyone finds anything they may suspect is debris, to not touch it and call police.