Robert Hoyle, 29, was one of two people who died in the Adelaide plane crash at Parafield Airport and his family have now paid tribute to the 'admired' flight instructor

01:37, Fri, May 1, 2026 Updated: 01:41, Fri, May 1, 2026

Robert Hoyle died in the plane crash in Adelaide

Robert Hoyle died in the plane crash in Adelaide (Image: 7News)

The devastated family of a pilot who lost his life in a plane crash in Adelaide have paid a heartfelt tribute to their "admired" son.

Robert Hoyle was one of two people who died in the incident at Parafield Airport on Wednesday afternoon.

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Robert was the flight instructor killed alongside a 24-year-old student pilot after the Diamond DA42 light aircraft they were aboard crashed into the airport's hangar just before 2:11pm.

His parents revealed that the 29-year-old had harboured dreams of becoming a pilot since the age of eight and had been affectionately nicknamed 'Goose' by his students, after the fictional aviator in Top Gun.

Robert's parents told 7News: "Robert was a commercial pilot for more than a decade."

An image depicting a significant fire, characterized by dense black smoke rising prominently against a backdrop of a clear, gray

Story from Jam Press (Fatal Plane Crash)Pictured: The aftermath of a plane crash at Adelaide Airport.VIDEO: Two killed after plane ‘nosedives’ at airport in horrifying crashTwo people have died after a light aircraft “nosedived” into an airport hangar in a horror crash.The small plane smashed into a building at Parafield Airport, killing the pilot and a passenger on board and leaving more than a dozen injured.Terrifying scenes unfolded as the impact sparked a huge blaze, sending thick black smoke billowing into the sky.Emergency services raced to the scene at around 2:10pm today (29 Apr), as reported by NeedToKnow.The airport was immediately shut to all air traffic, although some returning flights were later allowed to land.Shocking footage captured by Joshua Lee Swanell shows the aftermath of the crash, with flames ripping through the hangar.Residents nearby reported seeing clouds of smoke from miles away.A total of 11 ground crew inside the hangar at the time suffered serious burns and were rushed to hospital, according to 7NEWS.Due to the scale of the emergency, casualties were split between two hospitals.Four were taken to Royal Adelaide Hospital, while seven others were treated at Lyell McEwin Hospital.A spokesperson for Adelaide Airport said: “We are aware of a serious incident at Parafield Airport.“Emergency services are in attendance.“Parafield Airport has been closed to all air traffic.“However, we are allowing returning aircraft to land.“Police are at the scene of an incident at Parafield, where a plane has crashed into a hangar.“About 2:10pm today (Wednesday 29 April), police and emergency services were called to an area near Kings Road after reports that a small plane had collided with a hangar as it was attempting to land.“The immediate area has been evacuated as emergency services deal with the incident.“Please avoid the area if possible.”ENDSEDITOR'S NOTE: Usage Licence: (SOCIAL MEDIA) We have obtained this material from a verified account on social media platforms and have reached out to the owner.Usage Restrictions: Jam Press accepts all responsibility for use on news media portals only, usage on social media platforms like Facebook and YouTube is not guaranteed. (Image: Jam Press/Joshua Lee Swanell)

"He was respected and admired by his peers and students."

They paid tribute to their son adding that he had recently found the love of his life.

It is understood that Hoyle was employed by Flight Training Adelaide.

In addition to the two fatalities, a further 10 people sustained injuries in the incident.

Two individuals were left in a serious condition, with a 55-year-old man suffering life-threatening injuries, including burns to 80 per cent of his body.

When the aircraft struck the hangar, a fierce blaze erupted, sending thick black smoke billowing into the sky.

Some 50 firefighters raced to the scene, while more than 100 students and staff were evacuated from the airport.

Angus Mitchell, chief commissioner of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), stated that he understood the flight lasted fewer than 30 seconds before the aircraft nose-dived into the hangar.

He described the scene as "horrific" as crews began sifting through the wreckage.

"Very soon after take-off, it has pulled very sharply to the left, and it's continued all the way around about 180 degrees, not very high off the ground, not in the air for very long, and it's impacted the building.

"It will be quite a job for us today as we start to pick through that scene to really understand what's gone wrong so early in what we know is a training flight.

"The extent of damage was very extensive. And that post-impact fire will have done a lot of damage to the aircraft itself as well and to anything that's on board."