Plane crash that killed former Telford tycoon and family 'caused by passenger taking selfies' - claim

Richard Cousins, who lived in Wellington during the 1980s, died in a seaplane along with his two sons, fiancee Emma Bowden and her daughter while on holiday in Australia on New Year’s Eve.

The pilot Gareth Morgan was also killed when the craft owned by Sydney Seaplanes left its flightpath making an “inexplicable turn”.

All six died when it plunged into Hawkesbury River 30 miles north of the city.

According to newspaper reports the new part owner of the sightseeing tour operator, the hotelier Jerry Schwartz, said he has full confidence in the company's safety record.

He claimed experienced pilot Mr Morgan, 44, was knocked out prior to the crash.

Mr Schwartz told the The Australian: "The investigation has shown that safety is good and it's actually believed to not be pilot error. The current belief is the passenger at the front actually knocked out the pilot."

It is thought that a passenger was taking photographs of the river and accidentally struck the pilot in the head with their elbow.

Previous investigators said that the pilot probably became disoriented or incapacitated, which caused the The De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver to nose dive into the water.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) is still investigating the crash, which happened on December 31, 2017.

Meanwhile the inquests that were opened and adjourned in the UK found the family had died from a combination of multiple injuries and drowning, calling it a “tragic accident”.

The hearings will resume pending the investigation by New South Wales police.

Invitations

Mr Cousins, 58, had been due to step down as chief executive of contract catering group Compass after more than a decade in the role when tragedy struck.

The former Wellington Cricket Club second team batsman lived in the town in the 1980s and was also chairman of the club’s cricket committee for several years. He moved to Slough, in Berkshire, to take up a new job in 1990.

At the time of his death, Mr Cousins was planning to watch the Ashes test match at Sydney.

He and Miss Bowden, 48, the art editor for OK! magazine and daughter of Conservative MP Gerry Bowden, sent out their wedding invitations just days before flying off on their Christmas and New Year holiday. They lived together with Heather, 11, in Tooting, south London.

He had sons Edward, 23, and William, 25, with first wife Caroline who died in 2015.

The businessman left £41 million to Oxfam.