HUNTER aviation legend Col Pay was killed yesterday after his aircraft crashed into Lake Liddell while scooping water from the lake's surface.
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Mr Pay's fire-bombing air tractor went down about 9.15am after clipping the surface of the lake and flipping.
Detectives from the Hunter Valley police command are investigating the accident with the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, whose inspectors were on-site early yesterday afternoon.
A bureau spokesman said all factors would be considered, including the condition of the plane, the weather and witness accounts.
"We will identify all of the factors that may have contributed to the accident," he said.
Police said the 75-year-old pilot had no time to escape before the plane sank.
Police recovered Mr Pay's body from the cockpit of the plane shortly before 6pm.
Witnesses included the pilot of a second aircraft participating in the water-gathering exercise, Harley McKillop, of Pay's Air Service.
Mr McKillop said Mr Pay had been testing an Air Tractor 802. The business had contracts with fire services to operate the aircraft during bushfires.
The aircraft was scooping water at the time of the accident.
Police said another witness who was observing the exercise from a boat on the lake tried to reach Mr Pay after the crash.
Initial attempts to locate the plane were made more difficult by an associated fuel spill and the depth of the water, about 8.5 metres.
The accident happened near the Liddell Power Station, between Singleton and Muswellbrook.
Emergency services, including Singleton and Muswellbrook police, highway patrol, ambulance, Lower Hunter State Emergency Service volunteers and the Westpac Rescue helicopter rushed to the scene.
They were alerted by three other witnesses who were on a ski boat when they saw the plane splash into the lake.
Mr McKillop said his friend's death was a "huge loss" to the industry.
Mr Pay moved to Scone from Narromine in 1961 and was one of three life members of Scone Aero Club.
Members of the small club were in shock yesterday.
Club president Neville Partridge said Mr Pay was well-known in the Scone community and had about "half a century" of flying experience.
He was always "pushing the boundaries" in an effort to further the industry that he loved, Mr Partridge said.
"We just can't believe it. He was such a character, but he could be a cranky bugger, too. He was so experienced, really tough."
