Twin Comanche accident in W.A.

[Robert Zweck]

Air safety officers and police are investigating the cause of a plane crash in the Perth hills yesterday that left two men dead.

The men, believed to be Frank Davey, 60, and Daniel Mark Berinson, 41, from Perth, were reported missing at 9pm yesterday after failing to return from a joy flight to Northam.

Their bodies and the shattered wreckage of a twin engine Piper Comanche was found about 8am today, 20km east of Mundaring in hills suburb The Lakes.

The wreckage was strewn among trees at the top of a hill on a mining property several kilometres from The Lakes Roadhouse.

A resident on a neighbouring property of the crash site told police he heard a crash and the sound of an engine screaming about 11am yesterday, however when he came outside to investigate he couldn’t see any smoke or signs of a crash and did not call police until he heard search aircraft hovering this morning.

Insp. George Putland said Air Transport Safety Bureau officers and forensic police would remain on the scene for about three days and prepare a report for the coroner.

It is believed that one of the men was an experienced pilot.

Insp. Putland said there was no sign of what had caused the crash and it was "very serene place here and it is very unfortunate".

"It's a tragedy for the families just before Easter to have such a terrible thing happen."

The two men left for their joy ride from Jandakot airport about 8.30am yesterday.

Their failure to return to Jandakot yesterday afternoon sparked an air search in the 100 square mile area from Northam to Midland.

Two fixed wing aircraft and police helicopters conducted the search.
It is believed the plane was fitted with a personal beacon activating device which was not set off in the lead up to the crash.

( The aircraft was VH-KDS )