Mobile phone led rescuers to pinpoint plane wreckage
The pilot who died in a light plane crash in the NSW Illawarra region has been identified as 57-year-old Robert Greig, a man with four decades of flying experience.
Several triple-0 calls were made on Tuesday night after his plane went down in bad weather west of Austinmer, near Wollongong.
Emergency services found the single-seater plane wreckage with Mr Greig's body inside in rugged terrain on Wednesday morning, using Greig's mobile phone.
It will be some time before police can recover Mr Greig's body because the wreckage is on the top end of an escarpment.
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Mr Greig was flying in a small home-built style plane and had taken off from Wedderburn Airport with a similar aircraft.
The two planes were on their way to Albion Park Airport but hit bad weather.
"The two aircraft were separated from one another and unfortunately Mr Greig's aircraft came to the fateful end that we have before us today," Superintendent Kyle Stewart told reporters.
Emergency services at the scene of the fatal light plane crash in the NSW Illawarra region. Photo: AAP
Supt Stewart said Mr Greig, from Balgownie near Wollongong, had been a pilot for forty years and amassed many thousands of hours flying experience.
It would have been very difficult for pilots flying in Tuesday night's conditions, he said.
Members of the NSW Sport Aircraft Club are mourning the loss of Mr Greig.
"We've just lost a friend," club president Bret Cavanagh told AAP.
Mr Greig leaves behind two daughters.
Rescue crews used the pilot's phone to locate the wreckage of the plane. Photo: 7News
"The tragedy of this whole collision is the fact that Mr Greig is a family man and has an extended family with whom I have met this morning," Supt Stewart said.
Rescuers battled foggy and wet conditions to find Mr Greig's plane.
They were able to use the mobile phone the pilot had on him to pinpoint the exact location of the wreckage.
State Emergency Service (SES) volunteers and police rescue walked into the bush and found the plane on Wednesday.
Morning news break - 28 January
