Plane crash Australia: Two pilots killed in horror crash as plane plunges into sea after losing control 30 minutes after take-off

Mark White, 67, and Simon Peutrill, 69, were killed yesterday (Saturday 4 January) on board the Sting S4. The plane left Coffs Harbour, Australia, around 3:30pm and was headed for South West Rocks - but never made it.

It lost control within 30 minutes of flying and crashed into the ocean. One witness told 9 News that he heard the plane before it crashed.

He said: "[I] heard the plane actually go over home, which was very low. I knew that's not right considering we don't get much plane action around here.

"The engine was very low revving – it sounded as though it was struggling for power." What went wrong or how the two pilots lost control is being investigated.

White ran a flying school called Midcoast Microlights that operated out of Coffs Harbour. Peutrill joined the school in 2022. The second body was tragically recovered today (Sunday 5 January) amidst difficult conditions near Scott's Head Beach, NSW chief inspector Stuart Campbell told media.

The crash in Australia comes after a bombshell investigation into South Korea's horror plane crash has revealed how the very same plane was involved in another smash just three years ago. It has been claimed that Jeju Air swore the plane had no history of accidents and no maintenance issues - despite being involved in a collision in 2021 as it took off.

The crash took place on February 17, 2021, as the jet took off from Gimpo Airport to Jeju Airport. Several years later, on Sunday at Muan International Airport, the same plane crash landed on the tarmac and careened into a brick wall. It exploded in an enormous fireball, killing all but two of the 181 onboard.