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'Caring' pilot, mother, teen daughter killed in medical flight crash

A leading Adelaide businessman was flying a mother and her daughter to Adelaide for medical treatment when their Angel Flight plane crashed near Mount Gambier this morning, killing all three.

On the outskirts of Mount Gambier, just three kilometres from the airport, the plane plummeted into the ground.

The single engined Tobago aircraft crashed nose first into paddock after taking off in heavy fog.

Behind the controls was 78-year-old Grant Gilbert, a prominent Mount Barker businessman who friends say had a heart of gold.

Pilot Grant Gilbert was described as a caring person. Photo: 7 News
Pilot Grant Gilbert was described as a caring person. Photo: 7 News

“The Gilbert family have been the backbone of Mount Barker for as long as I can remember,” Mount Barker Mayor Ann Ferguson said.

“He was a caring person, he was a giving person.

"It wouldn’t matter who it was for, if you went to Grant looking for help he would give it to you.”

His friend Shirley Barker said she would miss Mr Gilbert.

“What a loss he is, not only to his family but also the local people,” she said.

The crash happened just before 10.30am.

It is understood Mr Gilbert was conducting an Angel Flight, taking a 43-year-old mother and her 16-year-old daughter to Adelaide for medical treatment.

All three passengers died as a result of the crash. Photo: 7 News
All three passengers died as a result of the crash. Photo: 7 News

Seven News understands weather conditions were so poor at least two other planes refused to land just minutes before Mr Gilbert’s aircraft took off.

Police said the conditions on Wednesday morning were “cold, wet and foggy”.

A team of air safety investigators will arrive on scene tonight to determine exactly what went wrong.