A coronial inquest into a fatal light plane crash off South Stradbroke Island has heard a complaint about the pilot making low-level aerobatic manoeuvres months earlier was not passed on to authorities.
Pilot Martinus Van Hattem and passenger Trista Applebee died when the Yak-52 warbird they were flying in crashed into waters off South Stradbroke Island on June 5, 2019.
Ms Applebee's partner told the inquest that the joy flight was a "treat" for her 31st birthday, with Mr Van Hattem discussing the possibility of doing aerobatic manoeuvres.
The inquest also heard on Wednesday that a complaint to the Southport Flying Club, which Mr Van Hattem was a member of, had been made in November 2018.
The complaint concerned Mr Van Hattem conducting low-level aerobatic manoeuvres above the populated Helensvale area.
Former club committee member Gary Klein said the complaint had not been passed on to CASA and that the club had no formal process for doing so.
"We don't get involved in outside our zone in terms of flight skills," he said.
"It gets very curly — 'who are you to tell me how to fly?'
"We're not the authority."
Mr Klein said Mr Van Hattem had "a natural ability" and that he didn't hear "any negative stuff" about Mr Hattem other than "some issues" raised in "bar-room talk".
"I think he was careful, enthusiastic," Mr Klein said.
"He had attention to detail.
"[He was] a confident kind of guy."
Training records questioned
The inquest heard Mr Van Hattem was endorsed to conduct aerobatic manoeuvres after a two-hour training session from instructor Douglas Field on January 17, 2019.
Mr Field said Mr Van Hattem "was definitely proficient at doing aerobatic manoeuvres" and "was clearly doing them before I trained him".
Mr Field also told the inquest he had not conducted any aerobatic manoeuvres himself in a Yak-52 prior to training Mr Van Hattem, but had earlier researched the plane online and had deemed himself qualified.
Counsel assisting the coroner Ian Harvey questioned why metadata showed an excel sheet relating to Mr Van Hattem's training was created or amended on June 8, three days after the fatal crash and months after the training.
Mr Field said he remembered "going back in and checking everything up" but doesn't recall if he changed or added anything to the documents.
The inquest is expected to continue on Thursday.
