Deceased
Peter QUILLIAM and Norma QUILLIAM
Demographics
60y, male
Date of death
2004-08-30
Finding date
2006-08-24
Cause of death
incineration resulting from aircraft crash
AI-generated summary
Peter and Norma Quilliam, a retired couple from the United Kingdom, died on 30 August 2004 when their Cessna 421C aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff from El Questro Wilderness Park airstrip in remote Western Australia. The aircraft became airborne within less than half the runway distance, then banked left at very low altitude (approximately 50 feet), with the left wing dropping rapidly before impacting trees and the ground. Both occupants died from incineration in the resulting fire. Post-mortem examination of the pilot revealed no medical conditions that could have contributed to the crash. Despite comprehensive investigations by police and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, the precise cause could not be determined. The ATSB concluded there was no evidence of aircraft malfunction, but suggested the pilot may have been distracted by an unidentified event during takeoff, or alternatively may have attempted early liftoff to avoid runway debris damage. The coroner found the death was accidental and made recommendations regarding regulatory oversight of commercial-use airstrips.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Specialties
62y · Male·cardiac arrest caused by hypothermia following prolonged exposure to extreme col…
Captain David Wood, an experienced helicopter pilot, fell into a concealed crevasse on the West Ice Shelf in Antarctica while conducting fuel cache operations. He was exposed to extreme cold (-14°C) and remained in the c…
65y · Male·Multiple blunt force injuries from helicopter crash
A 65-year-old experienced helicopter pilot crashed during mustering operations near Limbunya Station, NT, resulting in fatal blunt force injuries. The ATSB investigation could not definitively determine the cause, identi…
57y · Male·multiple injuries sustained in helicopter crash
Roger Corbin, a highly skilled and experienced helicopter pilot and instructor, died in a crash during emergency training on 7 November 2017. While instructing student John Osborne in a simulated hydraulic failure landin…
Source and disclaimer
This page reproduces or summarises information from publicly available findings published by Australian coroners' courts. Coronial is an independent educational resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of any coronial court or government body.
Content may be incomplete, reformatted, or summarised. All court orders for redaction and non-publication are respected; documents with technically defective redaction have been excluded from the database entirely. Always refer to the original court publication for the authoritative record.
Copyright in original materials remains with the relevant government jurisdiction. AI-generated summaries and tagging are for educational purposes only, may contain inaccuracies, and must not be treated as legal documents. We welcome feedback for correction —