On a crisp Saturday morning around 10 a.m., tragedy struck at Shellharbour Airport when a small aircraft carrying Andrew Connors (55), his wife Julianne (54), and their long-time friend Colin McLaughlin (73) crashed mere moments after takeoff, bursting into flames in a “gruesome and devastating” scene that has stunned the Illawarra community.
Friends and family confirmed the identities of the victims overnight: Andrew and Julianne — pillars of the local community — and McLaughlin, who shared a close bond with the couple. Andrew and Julianne leave behind two adult children in their 20s. The Connors were well known in the region not just as builders but as generous neighbours who “would do anything to help someone,” according to friends.
According to police, the trio arrived at Shellharbour airport around 9:30 a.m. and boarded a six-seat Piper Cherokee (or Piper Cherokee Lance) fixed-wing aircraft, intending to fly eastwards, likely headed for Bathurst. The plane climbed only about 30 meters before witnesses say its left wing dipped, struck the tarmac, and sent the aircraft tumbling back down in flames.
Emergency response was swift. A Rural Fire Service truck, already conducting training nearby, rushed to the scene. Fire and Rescue NSW crews also attended, but by then the fuselage was largely destroyed and there was no chance of survival for the occupants. Lake Illawarra Police District Chief Inspector Aaron Wunderlich described what they encountered as “a really horrific scene” and heralded the efforts of first responders under harrowing conditions.
Witnesses say the aircraft had barely cleared the runway when disaster struck — it dipped suddenly, its left wing grazing the tarmac before the nose dropped and the plane was engulfed in fire. Only the blue-and-white tail of the plane was left intact; the rest was incinerated.
In the aftermath, investigators from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau have established a formal crime (fatality) scene and begun collecting evidence. Flight logs, maintenance records, CCTV, eyewitness testimony, and tracking data (from services like FlightRadar24) will all be analyzed. Early comments from ATSB suggest that in the final moments the aircraft was not producing power, though exactly why remains unknown.
The loss has prompted an outpouring of grief and tribute across the Illawarra region. Neighbours, friends, and building industry colleagues have painted Andrew and Julianne as kind, down-to-earth, and always ready to help. One longtime friend said it was “hard to fathom” that such a beloved pair could be gone in an instant. In statements, those who knew Colin McLaughlin similarly spoke of his generosity and warmth.
For now, the community waits as investigators work through all the possible causes. But amid the technical questions lies a profound human loss: a spirited couple, joined by a friend, taken far too soon on a trip that never should have ended in tragedy.