'Highly Respected' Aerobatic Pilot Killed After 2 Planes Collide in Mid-Air

'Highly Respected' Aerobatic Pilot Killed After 2 Planes Collide in Mid-Air

The Temora Flyers described the pilot's death as a "tragic loss"

Charlotte Phillipp

Sun, November 30, 2025 at 9:14 PM UTC

3 min read

7NEWS Australia/Youtube The crash scene — 7NEWS Australia/Youtube
The crash scene

NEED TO KNOW

A pilot in Australia has died after his plane was involved in a mid-air collision with another plane
Emergency services were first called to the site of the crash near a private New South Wales airport at around 12:15 p.m. local time on Sunday, Nov. 30
The victim has been identified as Eddie Seve, an aerobatic pilot

A pilot in Australia has died after his plane was involved in a mid-air collision with another plane.

According to a statement from police in New South Wales, emergency services were first called to the site of the crash near Napperfield Airfield, a private airport located in the Sydney suburb of Wedderburn, at around 12:15 p.m. local time on Sunday, Nov. 30.

Two small planes collided in mid-air, before one of the aircraft crashed into a rural area.

"Responding emergency services located the body of the pilot, believed to be the sole occupant of the aircraft," police said. "The other plane landed safely at the airfield, and the pilot was uninjured."

9News and the Daily Mail reported that the deceased has been identified as Eddie Seve, an aerobatic pilot.

Getty A Van's RV-7 aircraft (stock image) — Getty
A Van's RV-7 aircraft (stock image)

Seve, who founded the Freedom Formation Display Team — Australia's largest civilian formation team, according to the organization's social media pages — was flying in a four-plane formation when he collided with another aircraft, the Daily Mail reported.Flight radar data obtained by the outlets showed that Seve's amateur-built Van's Aircraft RV-7 plane left the airport just after 11:40 a.m. and travelled east.

The aircraft briefly flew over the ocean and turned back toward the airport before it crashed into the other plane, which was also an RV-7 — a two-seater, single-engine plane.

A witness who spoke with The Daily Telegraph said that while Seve's plane was severely damaged in the crash, the other aircraft "only lost a wheel."

"The other plane got chopped with the prop, and then the fuselage parted, and it came down," the witness said, recalling how the planes had been flying closer together before impact. "It sounded like someone landed on my hangar — it was so loud."

"They were doing formation, they were so close together," he added. "One guy pulled away first, and the other guy followed, and then it happened."

The second airplane landed safely back at the airport, and its pilot was unharmed.

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According to The Daily Telegraph, Seve, from Sydney's Hills District, was a highly respected and experienced pilot and recently flew with his aerobatic group at the Gold Coast Airshow.

The Temora Flyers released a statement soon after the incident, sharing that it was acknowledging "the tragic loss of a pilot involved in an aircraft accident earlier today."

"The pilot who passed was a highly respected member of the formation team and a strong supporter of youth in aviation. Their contribution to inspiring young people and promoting safe, professional flying will not be forgotten," the organization wrote on Facebook.

"Temora Flyers Inc. extends our heartfelt condolences to the pilot's family, friends, and all who are grieving during this difficult time," the statement continued.

Police noted that the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has opened an investigation into the incident.

“Investigators will also interview the other pilots involved in the formation flight, as well as other witnesses and involved parties,” the ATSB told 7News.

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