SECONDS AFTER TAKEOFF — REVEL DOWNING, 58, AND HIS 63-YEAR-OLD FRIEND DIE IN NSW PLANE CRASH

They travelled across Australia to bring home a newly purchased aircraft. But their journey ended in tragedy when the kit-built plane crashed shortly after takeoff near Scone, New South Wales.

A journey driven by a shared passion for flying has ended in heartbreak after two experienced recreational aviation enthusiasts died in a light aircraft crash in regional New South Wales.

Revel Downing, 58, from Western Australia, and his 63-year-old friend, known as Will, died on Friday, October 16, when their two-seat Aeropup aircraft crashed shortly after taking off near Scone Aerodrome in the Upper Hunter region.

The men had reportedly travelled from Western Australia to purchase the aircraft and were attempting to fly it home for the first time.

Emergency services were called to a paddock on Bunnan Road at approximately 1:55 p.m. local time. Both occupants suffered fatal injuries and were pronounced dead at the scene.

For their families, friends and fellow aviation enthusiasts, the news marked a devastating end to what had been intended as an exciting journey home.

A plane they had travelled across Australia to buy

Downing was an aviation enthusiast who shared his interest in flying with others in the recreational aviation community.

Reports identified the aircraft as a 2012-built Aeropup, a two-seat, kit-built plane that had recently been sold for approximately A$38,000.

The men were believed to have travelled from Western Australia specifically to purchase the aircraft and return home in it.

Their plans never came to fruition. The plane crashed into a paddock only a short distance from the aerodrome, leaving the aviation community mourning two men who had shared a passion for flying.

What happened moments after takeoff?

Flight-tracking information reported by Australian media indicated that the aircraft climbed to around 145 metres before losing speed and altitude.

The plane crashed approximately 460 metres from the runway.

Some reports raised the possibility that the aircraft entered a spin, but the precise sequence of events has not been conclusively established. Investigators have not announced a confirmed cause.

NSW Police Inspector Todd Hobson said investigators were considering multiple possibilities, including weather conditions, pilot error and a potential mechanical problem.

No single explanation should be treated as fact until the available evidence has been assessed.

An investigation into the fatal crash

Police established a crime scene and began examining the circumstances surrounding the incident. A report will be prepared for the coroner.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau was notified, but said it would not investigate because the aircraft was operating under the recreational aviation system.

The absence of a confirmed cause means important questions remain about the aircraft’s final moments. Those answers will depend on the evidence gathered by authorities and any findings from the coronial process.

A devastating loss for loved ones

The deaths have also affected the wider aviation community, where recreational pilots and aircraft builders often share technical knowledge and a deep enthusiasm for flying.

Local representatives expressed condolences to the families and friends of both men, while acknowledging the impact of the tragedy on the community and emergency responders.

For those who knew Downing and his friend, the loss extends far beyond the circumstances of the crash. They were two people with a shared interest who had set out on a journey together and never returned home.

Waiting for answers

The investigation continues, and the cause of the crash remains unconfirmed.

As authorities work to establish what happened, the families of the two men are left facing an immeasurable loss.

A trip across Australia to bring home a newly purchased aircraft should have marked the beginning of a new chapter. Instead, it ended just moments after takeoff.

Their story is a sobering reminder of how quickly a journey can change — and of the loved ones left waiting for answers after an unexpected tragedy.