Family, friends and the greater flying community are mourning the loss of pilot Peter Lynch, who died on Thursday evening when his plane crashed into the Swan River.Â
Mr Lynch, 52, and his partner Endah Cakrawati, 30, died when his 1948-built Grumman Mallard plane crashed into the river before thousands of horrified people gathered for the annual Australia Day fireworks display.
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Perth is coming to terms with the tragedy on the Swan that killed two people and forced the cancellation of Skyworks. Vision: Nine News Perth
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Plane crash tragedy
Perth is coming to terms with the tragedy on the Swan that killed two people and forced the cancellation of Skyworks. Vision: Nine News Perth
"With great difficulty I am unbearably saddened to confirm that my great friend and the father of my children passed after a tragic accident on the Swan River in Perth yesterday," Laura Lynch wrote on her Facebook page at midnight.
"Service details to follow in due course."
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It is understood he and Ms Lynch had separated but had two sons and a daughter.
Mr Lynch had recently moved to Perth from Brisbane to take a role as business development director at Fortescue Metals Group. Ms Cakrawati worked with Mr Lynch as investor relations manager at Cokal, a mining company he founded in 2009.
Friends wrote to Ms Lynch in support, expressing sympathy at the loss of a man who "lived his life with great joy ... a good mate, father and friend".Â
Mr Lynch told an aviation blog in a 2013 interview that he loved flying not just for the friends he made, but for the rush of being airborne, the "pure pleasure of getting up in the sky and having the freedom to go virtually anywhere".
He said the best flying experience he'd ever experienced was after buying the Grumman Mallard plane in the US and completing the training to fly it, when he set off to fly over the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam.Â
Online tributes flow for dead pilot
Aviation groups have posted tributes to Mr Lynch, who was held in high regard.Â
"It is with great sadness as we try to come to terms with the tragic news of the passing of Peter Lynch," the Great Eastern Fly-in Committee wrote.Â
"Peter was a man of vision and one with a passion for aviation and was well loved and respected in our close knit flying community.
"Peter for many years attended the Evans Head Great Eastern Fly In, was the man with a vision for an Air Park at Evans Head, and was instrumental in the establishment of the Evans Head Aviation Museum.
"Our deepest and sincere condolences are expressed to Peter's family and many friends who are grieving with his sad passing.
"Clear skies Peter....and may you rest in peace, our dear friend and colleague."
The Grumman Mallard was intended to have been displayed frequently at the Evans Head Aviation Museum and used to promote the airpark project around Australia.Â