Breaking: Tragedy as Pilot Dies in Light Plane Crash

• Tragedy struck as a pilot and a sole occupant reportedly lost their lives in a plane crash that occurred at Yeelanna, on South Australia's Lower Eyre Peninsula
• South Australia police disclosed that authorities were alerted to the crash when the crop-spraying aircraft's locator beacon was activated
• The aircraft was reportedly believed to be a crop duster, a low-flying plane commonly used on farms

Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements.

In a tragic turn of events, a pilot has reportedly lost his life after a light plane crashed during agricultural spraying operations in the state of South Australia, the police said.

SA police confirm pilot, sole occupant dead

According to the SA police statement, the crash occurred in fields near the small town of Yeelanna, 275 km west of the state capital of Adelaide, at around 1:30 p.m. local time on Monday.

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The pilot and the sole occupant, a 36-year-old man, died at the scene.

SA plane crash: Police launch investigation

As reported by Australia Broadcasting Corporation, major crash investigators were deployed on Monday night, September 8, to examine the circumstances surrounding the crash, SA Police said.

It added that the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) will also investigate the incident.

Aircraft collided with terrain - ATSB investigators

A statement from the ATSB further disclosed said that the Air Tractor agricultural aircraft collided with terrain while spraying crops.

It said that ATSB investigators specialising in aircraft operations would be sent to the site to gather evidence and examine the wreckage.

Aircraft components recovered from the scene would be examined at the ATSB’s technical facilities in Canberra.

Pilot loses life in fatal crash

In a similar development, Legit.ng reported that a tragic plane crash at South Africa's West Coast Air Show claimed the life of pilot James O'Connell, whose Impala Mark 1 aircraft spiralled out of control and plummeted to the ground.

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The accident occurred during a routine display, with eyewitnesses reporting a sudden loss of altitude during one of the final manoeuvres.

Emergency responders arrived swiftly, but the wreckage was engulfed in flames, leaving no chance of survival.

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Pilot speaks on how he cheated death

Legit.ng earlier reported that Matthew Carpenter, the pilot of a plane that crashed near the Canadian town of Faro, Yukon, spoke about how he tried to prevent the crash.

Legit.ng recalls that on Sunday, January 26, 2025, a small aircraft crashed near Faro.

According to Yukon News, speaking recently to the News on the crash, Carpenter expressed gratitude for the United States (US) military from Anchorage, Alaska and Canadian search-and-rescue teams that rescued him and his passenger.

Proofreading by Funmilayo Aremu, copy editor at Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng