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The pilot of a replica Spitfire killed in a crash in Western Australia on Wednesday has been identified as 76-year-old Perth man Malcolm Vivian.
Vivian was reportedly testing the kit-made Mk 26B Spitfire, VH-SFX (similar aircraft pictured), when it crashed at Malabaine, near Northam, on Wednesday morning. Australian Aviation understands the aircraft was Vivian’s second Spitfire.
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“It’s a very sad, sad event, and our hearts go out to the families and friends involved in the death of this particular pilot. It would have been a confronting scene for emergency service workers as well, so to the first responders, thank you for the work that you do,” said WA Premier Roger Cook, as reported by The West Australian.
“In terms of whether you take these learnings and say that we need to have higher level of oversight or regulation in terms of these self-build planes, I’ll leave that up to the experts.”
Vivian has been remembered by friends as a “beautiful man” and a “special builder”, with friend Kim Lawrence saying he was very well-respected as a pilot.
“I’ve seen the crash site … [the plane] hasn’t gone in nose first, people can think what they want to think about how it crashed, but I definitely don’t believe it was pilot error,” he told the ABC.
The ATSB has confirmed it is investigating the crash, and has asked anyone with video footage of the accident flight, or its immediate aftermath, to contact investigators via atsb.gov.au/witness at their earliest opportunity.
“As reported to the ATSB, the aircraft was being used for a private flight when it collided with terrain. The sole occupant sustained fatal injuries,” the ATSB said.
“The ATSB has deployed a team of transport safety investigators from its Canberra offices, specialising in aircraft maintenance and engineering, and materials analysis.
“They will arrive on site on Thursday, and over coming days will conduct a range of evidence-gathering activities, including site and wreckage examination, and recovery of any aircraft components of interest for further examination at the ATSB’s technical facilities in Canberra.
“Investigators will also interview any witnesses and involved parties, and collect relevant recorded information including any available flight tracking data, as well as pilot and aircraft maintenance records, and weather information.”
The Mk26B Spitfire, a 90 per cent scale replica of the original WWII aircraft, is produced in kit form by Supermarine Aircraft.
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