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

Two experienced aviation enthusiasts travelled across Australia to bring home a newly purchased aircraft. Their journey ended in tragedy just moments after take-off, leaving loved ones and the flying community mourning two lives lost.

A journey fuelled by a shared passion for flying has ended in heartbreak after a home-built aircraft crashed shortly after take-off near Scone, in New South Wales’ Upper Hunter region.

One of the victims has been identified as Revel Downing, 58, from Western Australia. His companion, a 63-year-old man identified in subsequent media reports as William “Will” Simons, also died in the crash.

The men reportedly travelled from Western Australia to purchase the two-seat aircraft and were attempting to fly it home for the first time. What should have been the beginning of their journey back west instead became a devastating loss for their families and friends.

A FLIGHT THAT LASTED ONLY MOMENTS

Emergency services were called to a paddock on Bunnan Road, near Scone Aerodrome, at approximately 1:55 p.m. on Friday, October 16, 2026.

Police and paramedics found the two men inside the aircraft’s cockpit. Both had suffered fatal injuries.

The aircraft was an Australian-designed, kit-built Aeropup. Media reports indicate that it had recently been purchased for around $38,000.

Flight-tracking information reported by Australian media suggests the plane climbed to approximately 145 metres before rapidly losing altitude. The exact sequence of events leading to the crash remains under investigation.

 INVESTIGATORS SEARCH FOR ANSWERS

Authorities have been examining the circumstances surrounding the accident, with possible factors including weather conditions, pilot actions and mechanical issues being considered.

Police have cautioned that the cause has not been established. It would be premature to attribute the crash to any single factor while inquiries remain ongoing.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau was notified and identified the aircraft as operating under Australia’s recreational aviation system. Police are preparing a report for the coroner.

TWO LIVES LOST, A COMMUNITY IN MOURNING

The tragedy has deeply affected the recreational aviation community, where the two men were reportedly known as experienced enthusiasts with connections to Western Australia’s kit-plane scene.

For their loved ones, the loss is especially painful: the pair had set out on a trip connected to something they shared a passion for, never expecting it would end this way.

As investigators work to establish what happened during those final moments in the air, family members and friends are left grieving two lives lost in circumstances that remain unexplained.

May both men be remembered with compassion, and may their loved ones find strength in the days ahead.