Canberra plane crash: Father of three children killed along with their grandfather gushed about kids in post

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The father of three children killed in a plane crash alongside their grandfather once posted a heartfelt post about the beauty of fatherhood – as terrifying footage of the plane at the center of the tragedy emerged.

Accountant David Smith and his wife Elise moved to Armidale, in northern NSW, at the end of 2020 as he took up the role of Diocesan Financial Administrator for the local Catholic Church.

In the years since, the couple – who had lived in nearby Tamworth – have become respected members of the community and welcomed their fifth child.

But tragedy struck on Friday when their three eldest children Raphael, 11, Evita, nine, and Philomena, six, were killed along with Elise’s father, Peter Nally, when the plane they were flying in crashed into a shelter at Gundaroo, north of Canberra.

At the time, Mr Nally, a highly experienced pilot, had sent the children home after the group had spent two days in Canberra visiting extended family.

Now, as the family come to terms with their devastating loss, an old interview has come to light in which Mr Smith raved about family life and focused on the ‘uniqueness’ of his children.

In November 2020, as Mr Smith embraced his new job, he spoke to the Diocese of Armidale to give parishioners insight into their newly appointed DFA.

David and Elise Smith with their children Raphael, 11, Evita, nine, and Philomena, six in happier times

The light aircraft (pictured) crashed at Gundaroo, about 35km north of Canberra, on Friday afternoon before bursting into flames.

Smith said fatherhood has taught him three things he didn’t expect.

“Kids can be so sharp and really surprise you,” he said.

“(Also) life is not perfect and you have to be patient and understanding, especially with your children.

‘(And) finally, there is no limit to compassion and kindness, use these often and freely!’

Asked about the challenges of having a large family, Smith said he and his wife have no regrets and that marrying his wife was the ‘best deal’ he could have ever made because ‘I’m very cared for and my children are too. !’

“Our children are all beautiful,” he continued.

“(They are) each so unique and can be really funny too!”.

The shocking post comes as disturbing footage emerges of the five-seat Cirrus SR22, VH-MSF, involved in the crash at Redcliffe Aero Club just months ago.

A video shared online by a tourist visiting the club shows a man sitting on the wing of the plane as he lounges on the runway as crowds of people surround him taking pictures.

Elise and David moved to Armidale with their children three years ago

The clip is accompanied by Frank Sinatra’s hit song ‘Come Fly With Me’.

The plane Mr Nally was flying was registered to club president Mike Cahill.

Mr Nally, who is from Bunga in Brisbane, left the Redcliffe Aero Club early last week to go to Armidale to visit his daughter, before later picking up his three grandchildren in Canberra.

The four family members were just 16 minutes into the 750km journey to Armidale when the plane crashed near Lake George.

As it took off, the plane climbed to 9,000 feet, but quickly lost altitude and crashed into the ground where it burst into flames.

The single-engine plane exploded on impact around 2:50 p.m.

Air traffic control tried repeatedly to elicit a response from Mr.

Investigators said the drill was prompted because the crash would be difficult due to the level of destruction

Mr Nally, who has hundreds of hours of flying experience, and his wife Therese are well-respected members of Brisbane’s northern community.

The couple also own an indoor plant rental business – which has been in operation for more than 20 years – and are active within their local Catholic diocese.

Tributes have started pouring in online, with one friend remembering Mr Nally as a “very nice guy”.

The Yun Hap Taekwondo Club said Nally and his wife were ‘huge supporters’ of the club, which some of their children attended.

“Most of our current club members will be too young to remember Liam Nally, Yun Hap 4th Dan, who trained with us for many years. Liam’s sister Beth and brother Michael also trained with us for a long time.

The Nally family is a big family and Liam, Beth and Michael have other siblings too.

“Our thoughts are with all of them at this sad time. May they all rest in peace and the family receive love and support from each other and those around them.’

The Cirrus SR22 has an entire aircraft parachute as a standard safety feature that has a very high success rate for saving lives when deployed above 1,000 feet.

Redcliffe Aero Club also released a statement offering its deepest condolences to the family.

“The pilot was active in the social side of the Club with many hours of flying experience,” the organization said.

“The plane was privately owned and not operated by the club.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has sent teams to examine the crash site to determine what happened.

Investigators are said to be focusing on why a special parachute, which is a standard safety feature on the plane, did not appear to deploy.

The Cirrus SR22 has an integrated whole-aircraft ‘ballistic parachute’ designed to prevent such collisions.

ATSB Chief Operating Officer Colin McNamara said engineers will study the aircraft’s maintenance log as well as the pilot’s flight history.

The ATSB’s preliminary report is expected to be released within two months.