Pilot died while trying to avoid power pole, final report finds

By Jenae MaddenABC Eyre PeninsulaTopic:Air IncidentsPosted Thu 5 Nov 2026 at 4:58pmThu 5 Nov 2026 at 4:58pmJarred Wait, 36, died in a plane crash near Cummins. (Supplied)In short:A final report into a fatal plane crash in SA's Eyre Peninsula last year has found the pilot had manoeuvred the aircraft to avoid a power pole while flying under powerlines when it rolled and collided with terrain.It said the 36-year-old pilot had likely used cocaine 24 hours prior but it was "unlikely" the drug affected him at the time.What's next? The aircraft's operator, Aerotech, has amended its operations manual for pilots undertaking aerial spraying. An Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) report has found a light plane crash that killed father and footballer Jarred Wait on South Australia's Lower Eyre Peninsula in September 2025 involved two closely positioned power poles.The final report said the agricultural aircraft was manoeuvring to avoid one power pole while flying under powerlines when it climbed, rolled inverted and crashed into a paddock 17 kilometres north of the Cummins Aerodrome.The aircraft was manoeuvring to avoid a power pole while flying under intersecting powerlines. (Supplied: Australian Transport Safety Bureau)Mr Wait, 36, was flying the single-seat aircraft spraying wheat at a ground speed of 130 knots, or 240 kilometres per hour, about 5 metres above the ground. It was his seventh load of the day.The report said the aircraft's flight path was in line with a pole that was supporting two close and intersecting lines."There was about 240 metres between [those] powerlines," Australian Transport Safety Bureau Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell wrote in the report.Angus Mitchell says there was 240 metres between the powerlines. (ABC News: Heidi Sheehan)The report said while turning to avoid the pole, the aircraft's right wheel, spray boom, aileron and wingtip struck the ground.Mr Wait tried to correct the turn, avoiding the pole and passing both powerlines before trying to point the nose of the plane upward.Jarred Wait was a premiership player for the Cummins Ramblers Football Club. (ABC Eyre Peninsula: Emma Pedler)The report said the right wing likely stalled and then flipped at a height from which "recovery was not possible".The post-mortem toxicology report showed Mr Wait had likely used cocaine within the 24 hours prior, but it was "unlikely" it directly affected his judgement."The actual effect of illicit substances on the safety of flight cannot be predicted by users and periods of impairment beyond the anticipated effects can occur," Mr Mitchell said.He said pilots needed to have "careful consideration of the risks of flying in proximity to multiple, closely situated powerlines".The 36-year-old farmer was well-loved in the Cummins community and remembered as a devoted father and a "tough, but fair" footballer.Aircraft operator Aerotech has amended its operations manual for pilots to manage hazards during spraying.As a result of the investigation, it said it was also implementing GPS hazard marking and alerting for pilots during spraying operations.