"Respected and Admired": Tributes for Flight Instructor Killed in Parafield Hangar Crash

Tributes flow for instructor Robert "Goose" Hoyle, killed in a Diamond DA42 crash at Parafield Airport. ATSB investigates the "nose-in" hangar collision.

By: AXL Media

Published: May 1, 2026, 11:35 AM EDT

Source: news.com.au

The Victims

Robert Hoyle (29): A commercial pilot of over a decade and a highly regarded instructor. Known affectionately by his students as "Goose", Hoyle’s father stated his son had dreamed of flying since childhood.

Student Pilot (24): A 24-year-old man who was also on board the aircraft at the time of the impact. His identity has not yet been publicly released.

The Crash Sequence

The aircraft, a Diamond DA42 four-seat twin-engine plane, took off at approximately 2:10 pm on Wednesday. According to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), video footage shows the plane rolling sharply to the left just 30 seconds after take-off.

Witness Joshua Swannell described hearing the engine "struggle" before the plane entered a steep, "nose-in" attitude and plunged through the roof of Hangar 54, operated by Flight Training Adelaide.