Weeks before Ian Campbell and his daughter Hannah were killed in a light plane crash south of Brisbane, the Barambah Organics founder spoke publicly about the family’s enduring passion for flying.
Mr Campbell, 56, and Hannah, 23, died when their six-seater Beechcraft A36 Bonanza came down in open ground near Musch Road, Stockleigh, shortly after taking off from Archerfield Airport on Monday, September 7.
The aircraft crashed at about 11.05am, according to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, and the impact sparked a grass fire. Both occupants, who were from Ascot, were found dead at the scene.
In an interview published by the Goondiwindi Argus in July, Mr Campbell and his wife Jane described how aviation had shaped their 27-year marriage. The couple completed their pilot training during their honeymoon in 1999.
“It’s just really exciting getting up in the air, even if you’re just checking paddocks,” Mrs Campbell said.
“We’re probably adrenaline junkies. Flying has been a big part of our married life from the very beginning.”
The family used aircraft to travel between properties at Goondiwindi and St George in Queensland and Raleigh on the New South Wales Mid North Coast. Mr Campbell was also an experienced pilot who took part in the 2025 Outback Air Race to raise money for the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
Investigation into Stockleigh plane crash
Three ATSB investigators from Brisbane attended the crash site from Monday afternoon, examining the wreckage and checking the aircraft’s flight controls, engine and propeller. Any recording devices, including avionics or GPS units, are being taken to Canberra for further analysis.
The bureau said witnesses had reported hearing the engine running roughly or spluttering before the crash, although investigators have not established what caused the aircraft to come down. A preliminary report is expected in about eight weeks.
Queensland Police Chief Superintendent Mel Adams described the scene as confronting for first responders and appealed for witnesses, including anyone with dashcam or video footage, to contact investigators.
Eight Queensland Fire Department crews were sent to extinguish the resulting grass fire. No one on the ground was injured and no other property was damaged.
Mr Campbell was a fourth-generation dairy farmer who founded Barambah Organics with Jane in 2002. The couple also ran Mañana Pastoral near Goondiwindi, producing extra virgin olive oil, grass-fed beef and lamb while working towards making the property carbon neutral.
Hannah shared her family’s support for regional communities and recently joined her father on the Kokoda Trail in Papua New Guinea as part of a fundraising effort for the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
Goondiwindi mayor Lawrence Springborg said the family had raised more than $70,000 for the organisation and described the loss as devastating for the local community.
The RFDS Queensland chief executive, Meredith Staib, said the Campbells had been “treasured ambassadors” for the service and that their commitment to regional healthcare extended beyond any formal title.
The ATSB and Queensland Police Service continue to investigate the circumstances of the fatal crash.
