Aviation community member died in plane crash, Skyworks cancelled

Peter Lynch, the pilot who died in Australia Day plane crash, has been remembered as much-loved part of the aviation community. The sea plane that carried Lynch, 52 and his girlfriend Endah Cakrawati, 30, crashed into Perth's Swan River on Thursday, which led to the death of both occupants and Skyworks' cancellation.

What was supposed to be a fun annual Skyshow turned out to be a horror as the Grumman G-73 Mallard flying boat crashed into the water. Authorities are yet to determine the cause of the crash. The deadly crash has resulted to the cancellation of the Skyworks, which organisers had expected to attract 300,000 people.

Witness Peta Healy said the onlookers were initially in disbelief and hoping that the occupants of the plane were okay. "I watched the plane come down the South Perth side of the river and turn, and as it turned it went on its side and headed to the water," she explained.

Lynch is a member of an aviation enthusiast community, the Great Eastern Fly-In. He had plans to open a new aviation museum at Evans Head on the northern New South Wales coast.

Six months ago, Lynch has moved to Western Australia from Queensland. Since then, he had been involved in the building of an aviation park in Evans Head, as well as a new museum in the area.

Halden Boyd, Lynch’s friend, said the Evans Head community would be "shell-shocked" by his passing. Boyd has also shared that the late pilot loved aviation and people who knew him loved so much. "We're just deeply shocked, really, really shocked and I was just shattered really," she told the ABC.

Skyworks is an annual Australia Day fireworks display. It is yet to be announced if the barge filled with fireworks will still be used since the Skyworks was already cancelled.