Flight ends in tragedy

Flight ends in tragedy

Just six weeks ago, she saw her grandson.

He had plans to be a social worker and to help troubled youths.

And to spend one more Christmas in Australia before returning to Singapore for national service.

But on Sunday, Jordan Pang's body was found in rugged terrain in Kinglake National Park, 51km north-east of Melbourne.

In an interview with The New Paper, his grandmother Kathleen Farr described Jordan, 18, as a "kind and generous person".

Said Ms Farr: "I still can't believe it. He was a really lovely young man. It is such a tragedy that he is gone now."

Ms Farr, who lives in Canada, was in Melbourne six weeks ago for her grandson's high school graduation from Whitefriars Catholic College in Box Hill, 58km away from the crash site.

That was the last time she saw him.

"He aspired to counsel youths like he had done in his Hillsong church group, mentoring youths his age of the problems that they were facing," said Ms Farr.

She said Jordan's family in Singapore had called with the tragic news. Jordan's mother lives here.

She has since flown to Melbourne.

TAKING PHOTOS

On Saturday, Jordan planned to fly in a gyroplane over Kinglake National Park to snap aerial photos of the picturesque bushland to show his family.

The national park was badly hit by forest fires in February 2009, in what later became known as Black Saturday.

More than 400 fires were reported that day and more than 170 people were killed and over 400 injured.

The trip was meant to take only 15 minutes and Jordan was with an experienced pilot, Mr Reg Thaggard, a 51-year-old Australian. He too died in the crash.

Jordan's father, Mr Matt Farr, told The Herald Sun that his son was supposed to return to Singapore after Christmas to enlist.

He said Jordan was interested in the environment and wanted to see the damage to the forest and its regrowth.

Victoria state police said that 15 hours after the gyroplane they were in took off from Yarra Valley Conference Centre, rescuers found Jordan's body and that of the pilot's - about 6km from where they took off.

Jordan was to have enrolled in an Australian university after his national service, said Ms Farr, because he wanted to become a social worker.

Australian media reported that the pilot had 15 years of flying experience.

Singapore's Foreign Affairs Ministry said it is providing consular assistance to Jordan's family.

FLYING A GYRO

The Australian Sports Rotorcraft Association's website describes a gyroplane as an aircraft that flies using freely-turning rotor blades.

Modern gyroplanes have two propellers, one overhead and one behind the cabin, and are light and easily manoeuvrable.

They are slower than aeroplanes but faster than helicopters.

However, unlike helicopters, they cannot hover.

- A typical single-seat gyroplane is about 4.25m long and 2.4m high. When empty, it weighs about 230kg.

- Most gyroplanes fly under 920m above ground because most pilots like the scenery at the lower altitudes. Specially modified gyroplanes have gone 6km high.

- The gyroplane is a stable flying platform. This is not so with helicopters, which pull the air down through engine-powered rotor blades making it possible to hover, but also making the aircraft very complicated and expensive to fly.

- Most gyroplanes fly between 70kmh and 100kmh.

- Gyroplanes depend on air currents for flight and can only fly if there is wind.


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