Police have released the name of the man killed in a place crash at Moruya on Saturday afternoon.
54-year-old experienced pilot Paul Smith did not survive the impact after the plane he was flying crashed into bushland near George Bass Drive.
Eight skydivers had only jumped from the aircraft two minutes before the aircraft went down.
Detective Inspector Justin Marks said the death will be felt hard by the local community.
“Mr Smith was a local from the Moruya area. He was a very experienced pilot with over 20 years flying and over 14,000 hours in the air,” he said.
“He was a very well respected and very well liked local resident.”
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau will investigate reports of an unusual sound heard from the plane and an unusual flight pattern about 60 seconds before it crashed in dense bushland at Moruya.
Mr Smith close to completing one of several flights on Saturday full of skydivers when the crash occurred.
ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell said his investigators are still to talk with everyone who jumped from the plane.
“We certainly know after they jumped there are some witness statements around an unusual sound and flight pattern in the last minute of so but exactly what sits behind that is too early to ascertain at this stage,” he said.
“But until we’ve spoken to all of them we will then get a better picture of it there was any indications of any problems whilst they were in the air.”
Mr Mitchell also revealed the plane had only been in Australia for a short time after being flown here from New Zealand by Mr Smith.
“It was built around 1980 in Switzerland. Its done some of it’s work recently in New Zealand,” he said.
“It was only recently purchased and brought over so we do know there was a fairly substantive maintenance check that was done prior to bringing it across to Australia.
“It’s only about a week and a half ago brought into service here in the local area.”
