FIVE Bamaga families, who lost loved ones in the 2005 Lockhart River air disaster, yesterday said their hearts and prayers were with Les Wright's family following his death in a plane crash.
Mr Wright, the owner of charter company Trans Air PNG, was one of four people killed on the remote Papua New Guinea island of Misima on Tuesday afternoon.
Trans Air PNG, which runs a charter and medivac service in PNG, was owned by Mr Wright, who was also owner of the now defunct Transair, which owned the plane which crashed at Lockhart River, killing 15 people.
On Tuesday, a Cessna Citation crashed on landing about 4.20pm with reports indicating there was "heavy weather and rain" at the time.
Witnesses said the plane overshot the runway, crashed into trees, then burst into flames.
The Bamaga families, speaking through Cleary and Lee lawyer Pat Nunan, said it was a terrible tragedy and their thoughts were with all the affected
families.
"Their hearts and prayers are going out to the families," Mr Nunan said.
A New Zealander managed to escape the inferno of Tuesday’s crash, which also killed Captain Chris Hart, and another unnamed Australia.
Mr Hart, 61, worked for Australian Reef Pilots and guided ships through the three compulsory pilotage areas in the Great Barrier Reef.
An ARP spokesman said yesterday Mr Hart saw coastal pilots as guardians of the Reef.
"We have lost a respected friend and colleague," he said.
"We will always remember Chris’s quirky sense of humour, his passion as a chef and his insatiable love for country and western music."
Civil Aviation Safety Authority director of Aviation Safety John McCormick yesterday said safety responsibilities for air service operations in Papua New Guinea rested with that nation’s regulatory authorities.
It did, however, confirm it held serious safety concerns about the operations into Australia by Trans Air PNG.
"CASA took action to prevent Trans Air PNG flying into Australia in 2009," he said.
A 2007 report into the Lockhart River air crash by Queensland Coroner Michael Barnes found Mr Wright failed to adequately monitor Transair’s pilots to ensure they were complying with company and CASA policies.
