The two people who died in a light plane crash south of Brisbane on Monday, September 7, 2026, were identified as businessman Ian Campbell and his daughter Hannah Campbell, according to Australian media outlets. The fatal crash occurred in the rural area of Stockleigh just minutes after takeoff, shortly after 11 a.m., and sparked a grass fire.
Ascot resident Ian Campbell, 56, was the founder of dairy business Barambah Organics and Mañana Pastoral, a farm in the Darling Downs that produces lamb, beef and extra virgin olive oil. He was a fourth-generation dairy farmer and founded Barambah Organics alongside his wife Jane in 2002.
Mel Adams, Chief Superintendent District Officer of the Logan District, confirmed that the two bodies were found inside the aircraft's burning wreckage on Monday, as reported by News.com.au and the Brisbane Times.
How did the plane crash occur?
The reason behind the crash remained unknown at the time of filing this report, as Superintendent Adams said authorities were trying to piece together what the purpose of the flight was late on Monday afternoon. “As to what happened while that aircraft was in the air, we have no information at this time,” she said, as quoted by News.com.au.
“This was quite a confronting scene for our first responders, and it’s only very early in these investigations, and we’re still working our way through the intricacies of that investigation with our colleagues at the ATSB.” “What I would ask is for anybody who heard the aircraft, saw the aircraft in the air before it crashed in the Stockleigh area or over the Chambers Flat area, or anyone that may have witnessed the aircraft hit the ground, to contact us,” Superintendent Adams said.
“It was close to a roadway, so perhaps there is vehicle dashcam footage or something of that nature. “I can’t say anything else about the flight manifest or the circumstances in which that aircraft was in the air.”
According to News.com.au, images show the paddock where the smashed plane came to rest has been blackened. A Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) spokesman said the two people on-board died at the scene, which multiple ambulances were called to shortly after 11am.
“Crews remained on standby while QFD (Queensland Fire Department) worked to contain a fire resulting from the crash,” the ambulance spokesman said. “Two occupants of the aircraft were declared deceased at the scene.”
Ian Campbell was a trained pilot
Ian Campbell completed his pilot training in 1999, Brisbane Times reported, citing The Maranoa Today. The plane took off from Brisbane’s secondary airport at Archerfield and crashed less than 20 minutes later, News.com.au reported, citing flight data. The plane was listed for hourly rental in 2024, although the web page has since been deleted.
Three Brisbane-based Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) investigators were rushed to the scene, the agency said in a statement. “Once on site from Monday afternoon, they will commence evidence-gathering activities, including site and wreckage examination, and the recovery of any aircraft components of interest for further examination at the ATSB’s technical facilities in Canberra,” the spokesman said.
