Pilot killed alongside pregnant wife may not have had licence
The president of a local aero club said Mr Kuhrt had started to work toward his licence but had not completed the course.
A Queensland aero club claims the bush pilot who died in a plane crash on Sunday evening, alongside his heavily pregnant wife, had not completed the flight training he was doing with them.
Newlyweds Rhiley and Maree Kuhrt were on their way to a medical appointment when their light aircraft crashed during a storm in North Queensland, initiating an extensive search mission for the couple, with their plane wreckage found the following morning.
Despite content on his social media suggesting Mr Kuhrt was a frequent flyer, the president and CEO of Darling Downs Aero Club shared he had not achieved his pilot's licence with them, despite starting to train towards it.
Allan Bougoure told The Courier Mail the 22-year-old pilot had completed about 30 hours of training at the centre but left before completing the course. It is not known whether he had achieved his licence elsewhere, however his Flightradar24 history suggests he had not, Mr Bougoure said.
The club's president continued by saying the distance the couple intended to travel was 140 nautical miles — over 100 nautical miles more than Mr Kuhrt would be legally able to fly if he held his recreational pilot licence.
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Family 'utterly grief stricken' by fatal plane crash
In the wake of the tragic crash, Mr Kuhrt's sister created a GoFundMe page to raise money for the young family's funeral, sharing their relatives were utterly "heartbroken" by the turn of events. She continued by sharing the couple had been hopeful for their future, revealing they had already decided on a name for their unborn child.
"My brother Rhiley, his wife Maree, and their beautiful unborn baby girl Phoebe tragically lost their lives during a routine flight to see family," the captain read, before sharing they were leaning on one another as they grieved. "Three incredible lives were cut way too short."
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