A Thorp T-18 home-built kit aircraft flown by a experienced 'heavy' professional pilot ended up crashing into a paddock at Whetstone around 20km from Inglewood after having departed Toowoomba for Moree a short time earlier

The 2 seater was found "strewn about a kilometre over the paddock" - the pilot's body was located nearby
 
Captured media images indicate the machine may have experienced an engine failure with the ensuring forced landing unsuccessful

Bankstown Airport
Three men on board a Cessna light aircraft escaped without injury after their machine hit a fence and then collided with a parked car

Jandakot Airport
A student pilot and his instructor were able to walk away from their machine after it landed short of the runway at Perth's Jandakot airport

September 9 2005
In the Kimberley a pilot and 3 passengers escaped without injury after their aircraft made a forced landing on a gravel road while on approach to the Argyle airport
 

September 11 2005
In Kununurra a pilot - the only person on board - landed his aircraft on a road - there were no injuries and the aircraft sustained only minor damage
 

September 13 2005
The Kiwi Government is reported as having sold it's entire air force combat wing of 34 aircraft to US based Tactical Air Services who purchased the A-4 Skyhawk fighter jets and Aermacchi training aircraft for around $155 million (US$110 million) after completing negotiations with the Government

 
In May 2001 the government had announced a plan to disband the air combat side of the air force and refocus on a maritime patrol and air transport role - click HERE for a previous News Desk report
 
Media have Tactical Air as partly owned by a unit of Italy's largest defense company Finmeccanica Spa