The wreckage of a Viper S-211 Marchetti jet has been found off the shore of the Mornington Peninsula near Melbourne, Australia, where a deadly collision and crash took place a few days prior.
A report from The Daily Mail said that Victoria Police confirmed that the remains inside the aircraft are believed to be pilot Stephen Gale and cameraman James Rose, who were reported missing on November 19, 2023.
Gale and Rose were on board the Viper S-211 Marchetti, a former Singapore Air Force training jet on November 19, 2023. At around 13:45 local time, the aircraft was involved in a mid-air collision with another S-211 jet.
The aircraft carrying Gale and Rose crashed into the water at Port Phillip Bay, roughly seven kilometers from the shore.
The other aircraft, also carrying two people, miraculously managed to land safely at Essendon Fields Airport (MEB).
It is understood that the four people were attempting to arrange into a formation for a show called, ‘Any Fool Can Fly’. The TV show’s name was eventually changed to ‘Jet School’.
Tributes to both men have been posted on Facebook by friends and family, celebrating their life and careers.
According to Down Under Aviation News, Gale was a former member of the Royal Australian Armed Force (RAAF), where he served as an electronics and avionics engineer working on the flight control systems airworthiness of F111C, B707, and C130 Hercules aircraft.
Rose was a cameraman who worked on shows like ‘Masterchef’, and has been recognized as one of the best drone operators in Australia.
