Couple killed after their light aircraft crashed due to bad weather were expecting a baby girl
PROSERPINE, QUEENSLAND: In a tragic turn of events, a plane that went missing for two days, carrying a couple was found in Queensland with the latter reportedly dead. Horrifying new detail of the plane crash reveals Rhiley Kuhrt and his partner Maree were expecting a child.
The pair allegedly took off on their white and green Piper Cherokee from cattle station Natal Downs, south of Charters Towers in rural Queensland on Sunday, April 2. Although Kuhrt and Maree never arrived at their destination at Lakeside Airpark, in Prosperine, prompting a desperate search by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority's Joint Rescue Coordination Centre. Also, it remains unclear what caused the plane crash.
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From flying plane passion to a fatal crash
Kuhrt had a passion for flying and frequently posted videos capturing vivid moments. He was a pilot at Nerrigundah station and the son of a Mackay district police senior sergeant and head stockman. The search for the pilot and his wife came to an end after authorities discovered the wreckage of the missing plane in the Clarke Ranges on Monday, April 3. At the time of the crash, Maree was expecting a baby girl in June and is known to have been on the plane so she could attend a medical appointment at Prosperine Hospital.
A day before boarding the plane, the expectant mother posted a selfie showcasing her baby bump, captioning, "27 weeks now! Getting closer and closer to meeting baby girl," she wrote. Moments before the flight, pilot Kuhrt took a video recording one of his many fights over rural southwest Queensland. 'Wick afternoon run over the sorghum harvest and abit of fun,' the post read. In another video, he was seen flying with scores of dogs seated in the back of the plane. He then turns the camera around showcasing the mountain stretch.
Investigation launched into crash
The pair were reportedly being searched by two helicopters and a fixed-wing aircraft last night but failed to find any trace of the missing aircraft. Bureau of Meteorology duty forecaster Ricus Lombard noted bad weather conditions called off the search resuming it for the following day, and the plane was found. An AMSA spokesman said, "At 10.15am (AEST) this morning, a crash site was located in the Clarke Ranges west of Proserpine by QG Air Rescue helicopter based in Townsville." "An aircraft located at the crash site is confirmed to be the light aircraft that was reported missing after leaving Natal Downs Station in Queensland yesterday afternoon," reported Daily Mail. ASMA added that "Queensland Police are co-ordinating with next of kin.'