A pilot who died when his plane crashed into crocodile-infested waters has been named as his son described him as “fun” and “inspirational”. Mark Christie, 63, was killed when his ultralight aircraft went down near Darwin in Australia last Sunday. A 29-year-old woman who was also on the plane but reportedly uninjured, was winched from the scene and taken to the Royal Darwin Hospital for assessment.
Crocodiles inhabit Fogg Dam where the plane crashed with the Northern Territory government’s website urging people to keep away from the area. Mr Christie had an open cockpit two-seater plane called a Drifter which he used as a hobby and he would share videos and photos from flights on a blog and YouTube channel. His son Joe has now reportedly told how his dad was “fun, aspirational, inspirational and respectful”.
In a tribute he said: “My dad loves acronyms, and by far his favourite one was FAIR (Fun, Aspiration, Inspiration and Respect). Mark Christie was many different things to many different people throughout his life: an officer, a consultant, a business owner, a public servant, an educator, a photographer, a traveller, a pilot and a friend; but in everything he did, he was consistently fun, aspirational, inspirational and respectful.”.
He also told how he was a “family man” who gave him his “spark for adventure”, reported ABC News. He continued: “"In the end, I can take solace in the fact that dad passed away doing what he loved. For all that knew him, he lives on in us, in the fun we have, in our aspirations to do better, in our ability to inspire others and in the respect we show each other.".
