Friends of Perth father and son killed in tragic WA gyrocopter crash in disbelief
The family and friends of Perth father and son Robert and James Waughman are grappling with the tragic death of the pair after the small aircraft they were flying in crashed on a South West beach on Wednesday afternoon.
Gyrocopter pilot James, 18, was with his 51-year-old father when the privately-owned gyrocopter they were flying in plunged onto the shores of Forrest beach, between Capel and Busselton, just after 2pm.
A friend who went to Prendiville Catholic College with James, remembered James as kind and friendly, and someone who would always make sure others were happy.
"I heard the news last night almost straight away. I'm in entire disbelief.
"I loved him as a great friend."
He said James had been flying gyrocopters for almost two years.
"He started doing courses with a professional trainer, he told me mid last year that once he gets enough hours he can fly with people such as his dad instead of a professional," he said.
"He was very experienced, he spent months practising and mastering this sport so he can go somewhere with it into the army and get a career from memory, so something must of gone wrong with the gyrocopter for this tragic event to happen.
"He worked at Delta Force Paintballing in Baldivis, he liked his job very much, he was a marshall there, teaching and helping kids and adults paintballing and giving them rules to the game.
"He was the most friendly kindest person who will always make sure you're happy and ok.
"James was the only child which now means [his mum] is alone and needs to be sent as much love as possible."
James Waughman was a student at Prendiville Catholic College in Ocean Reef. He graduated last year.
Police and other emergency responders were quick to arrive at the scene after an eyewitness reported the crash.
They eventually retrieved the chopper from the ocean, just metres from the shore, before they scoured the area nearby for debris after noticeable damage to the front and back of the small aircraft.
Police divers are due to arrive at the beach to conduct further investigations by mid-morning on Thursday.
Eyewitnesses told 9 News Perth they saw the gyrocopter flying about 500 metres above the Forrest Beach shoreline, which was a popular spot for flying the small aircraft, before they heard weird noises coming from it.
Bill Riley saw the aircraft fly over his house.
"It sounded tinny, it just didn't sound right," he said.
"It was moving in different directions like it was having trouble with the wind or something."
Australian Sport Rotorcraft Association president Rick Elliott said there were 350 rotorcraft registered across the country.
The sport had claimed the lives of three people in two separate crashes last year in New South Wales.
"We are going through a terrible period," he said.
"It's all a tragedy, it's not something we take lightly."
The aircraft ranged in cost from $10,000 to $200,000.
"You are allowed to build your own but the trend is moving towards factory-made machines, generally from Europe," he said.
He said technically they were the safest aircraft in the air because the machines did not rely on a motor to turn the rotor.
"As long as there is airflow going through the rotor system then the machine will be about to stay aloft."