On 30 November 2025, two light aircraft — both Van’s RV-7 kit planes — collided mid-air near Napperfield Airfield (YWBN), Wedderburn, a suburb in southwestern Sydney, Australia. While one of these registered VH-EWS crashed into nearby bushland, killing its sole pilot, the second Van’s RV-7 kit plane landed safely with no injuries.
Within hours, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) dispatched a team to begin a formal investigation.
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RV-7 Specifications
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Aircraft Type | Two-seat, single-engine, low-wing kit aircraft |
| Engine | Lycoming IO-360 / O-360 series |
| Horsepower | 150–200 hp |
| Propeller | Fixed-pitch or constant-speed |
| Cruise Speed | ~165–170 knots |
| Maximum Speed (Vne) | ~200 knots |
| Stall Speed | ~51 knots (landing configuration) |
| Range | ~1,000 nm |
| Service Ceiling | ~19,500 ft |
| Rate of Climb | ~1,600 fpm |
| Takeoff Distance | ~500–600 ft |
| Landing Distance | ~600–800 ft |
| Fuel Capacity | 42 gallons |
| Maximum Takeoff Weight | 1,800 lbs |
| Typical Empty Weight | ~1,050 lbs |
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What Happened: Details of the Van’s RV-7 Kit Plane Collision
The two RV-7 aircraft that collided in were part of a four-aircraft “formation flight” returning to Napperfield when, around 11:50–12:15 LT on Sunday, they collided in the vicinity of final approach.
One plane, identified as VH-EWS, sustained catastrophic damage and descended into forested terrain near the airfield. Emergency services located the wreckage and the pilot’s body in bushland.
The registration holder of fully registered VH-EWS was Edward Martin SEVE, 54B Smalls Rd, Arcadia NSW 2159, Australia. Here are the details of this aircraft, as reported by Civil Aviation Safety Authority:
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Engine Model | YIO-360-M1B |
| Propeller Model | HC-C2YR-1BFP/F7497(2) |
| Maximum Takeoff Weight | 816 kg |
| Registered Operator | Edward Martin SEVE, 54B Smalls Rd, Arcadia NSW 2159, Australia |
| Fuel Type | Gasoline |
| Propeller Manufacturer | Hartzell Propeller Inc. |
| Registration & Operator Commencement | 5 January 2011 |
| Engine Type | Piston |
| Airframe Category | Power Driven Aeroplane |
| Serial Number | 73226 |
| Engine Manufacturer | Textron Lycoming |
The second aircraft managed to return and land safely; its pilot was unharmed, reported the NSW police, claiming that Officers from Campbelltown City Police Area Command secured two scenes where the two collisions took place:
“Police were told two light planes had collided mid-air, before one of the planes crashed nearby in bushland. Responding emergency services located the body of the pilot, believed to be the sole occupant of the aircraft. The other plane landed safely at the airfield, and the pilot was uninjured. Members of the public are urged to avoid the area.”
In a statement, the ATSB confirmed investigators are on site to collect wreckage, map the crash site, recover flight and maintenance records, and gather air-traffic, flight-tracking, and weather data for further analysis:
“Over coming days, investigators will undertake site mapping, examine aircraft wreckage and damage, and recover any relevant components for further examination at the ATSB’s technical facilities in Canberra….They will also collect relevant recorded information including any air traffic control and flight tracking data, as well as pilot and aircraft maintenance records, and weather information.”
Previous similar incidents to Van’s RV-7 kit planes Mid-Air collisions in Sydney’s
The most infamous mid-air collision involved an Ilyushin Il-76 operated by Kazakhstan Airlines aircraft with a Saudi Airlines Boeing 747. This collision is better known as 1996 Chakri-Dadri Mid air collision and took the lives of all 349 onboard (the aggregate of the total number of occupants in both aircraft).
However, the case involving the two Van’s RV-7 kit planes in New South Wales is not as grave as the collision of two commercial aircraft. Nonetheless, there have been a few small aircraft collisions in Australia. Let’s take a look at them:
| Date / Location | Aircraft Types | Fatalities / Additional notes |
|---|---|---|
| 26 Oct 2024, Belimbla Park (SW Sydney) | Light aircraft — a Cessna 182 and an ultralight/Jabiru |
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| 18 Dec 2008 | Cessna 152 (VH-FMG) & Liberty XL2 (VH-XLY) |
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Where is the Investigation of the Van’s RV-7 Mid-Air collisions in NSW headed?
According to 7News, the pilots involved in the midair collision were a part of the Freedom Formation Display Team, which is “the largest formation aerobatic display team in the Southern Hemisphere“. The same publication also quoted this team:
“The Freedom Formation Team can sadly confirm that there has been an accident involving some of our aircraft today in Sydney’s southwest…We are working to fully support the relevant authorities as they take the lead in coordinating the emergency response…We are also supporting the team members and their families.”
At this stage, our publication could not find official statement attributing fault or cause of the accident. John Taru, someone who knew the victims, recalled that the pilots who were a part of the Freedom Formation Display Team involved in the accident were “pretty close together, almost every weekend.” His words describing his perception of how the accident unfolded was quoted in ABC News:
“I heard the bang, only I thought ‘This is somebody landing on top of my hanger. When I go out, there’s nobody there. I go back again and then ten minutes later all the ambulances coming and this is metres away from my hanger.”
The same publication also revealed that ATSB might come up with the report of preliminary investigation in a couple of months’ time.