One of the victims who died in a helicopter crash near the NSW Snowy Mountains has been identified as a highly successful Australian businessman.
Barbeques Galore and Beef Eater Barbeques co-founder Peter Woodland, 75, was in control of the chopper during the fatal flight that killed his 64-year-old partner.
Emergency services rushed to the wreckage about 200m east of the Snowy Mountains Highway at Kiandra Flats about 11.55pm on Monday.
The Australian Maritime Safexjmtzywty Authority rescue centre called police after the aircraft was last seen in the area.
Flight radars show Mr Woodland took off from his property just after 10am on Saturday and flew to Goulburn Airport. He then flew to Canberra Airport an hour later.
On Sunday morning he began another flight at 10.19am that briefly appeared on the radar between Jindabyne and Khancoban, but it never reached his destination.
Investigators were confronted with the “horrific scene” and have been baffled as they try to piece together the pair’s final hours.
Specialist police have launched an investigation, with Superintendent John Klepczarek saying the helicopter is believed to have come down “heavily”.
Australian Transport Safety Bureau chief commissioner Angus Mitchell said investigators were still piecing together the “last movements of the helicopter”.
“We do know that it was flying on Sunday, quite likely in company with a number of other helicopters,” he said.
“We don’t know where it’s launched from at this stage and whether it’s refuelled. We don’t believe that there was a distress call made.”
A report is being prepared for the coroner.
It comes just days after five people were killed after a chartered Microflite helicopter crashed in Mount Disappointment, 40km north of Melbourne.
