Bird strike may have caused HK pilot's fatal crash
Preliminary investigations suggest a bird may be to blame for the death of a Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific pilot, who died when the home-made plane he was flying crashed in an Australian field.
Christian Paul Beattie, a first officer on Cathay Pacific's Airbus passenger planes, was described by fellow pilots and company management as a very experienced and extremely competent pilot who had flown commercial planes for most of his adult life and even owned his own charter airline.
Beattie died last Tuesday when his single-engine plane crashed in a field in southern Queensland.
The 36-year-old, who was on leave, had taken off from Toowoomba airport, west of Brisbane, en route for the New South Wales town of Moree to visit his parents.
The alarm was raised when he failed to arrive, and the aircraft wreckage was located in a field close to the state border. His remains were found three hours later, Australian newspapers reported.
Police are investigating the cause of the crash, but Beattie's girlfriend, Kamana Tripathi, said that private investigations by Beattie's Australian business partner suggested the plane may have disintegrated in mid-air after hitting a bird.
'They reckon it was a bird strike because the wreckage was found over a kilometre and they suspect that he was instantly blown out of the aircraft. We are all very shocked,' she said, adding that the plane, a Thorpe T-18, had recently been serviced on a trip to the South Australian city of Adelaide.
The aircraft is a common model among home-plane builders. Beattie's was built by its previous owner, from whom he bought it in May, said fellow pilot and friend Dave Ellis.
A Cathay spokeswoman said Beattie had flown with the airline for five years.
Friends of the pilot said his life revolved around a love of flying.
Mr Ellis said the last time most friends in Hong Kong saw Beattie, he was excited by the prospect of flying his recently acquired plane for the first extended time.
'He was a little bit mischievous. He had a cheeky grin and was just full of zest for life. He loved having a beer, sharing a laugh and a joke with his mates.'
A funeral will be held in Australia on Tuesday, and a memorial service will be held at St John's Cathedral in Hong Kong on September 30 at 5pm.
Additional reporting by Nick Squires in Sydney
