The bodies of three firefighters killed in a plane crash in northwest Queensland will be recovered on Monday.
The plane crashed on Saturday while carrying out a fire mapping operation for Queensland Fire and Emergency Services.
It left Toowoomba airfield just before 11am but disappeared from radar over McKinlay, about an hour south of Cloncurry, just after 2.30pm.
Workers at the nearby Eloise copper mine witnessed the accident and raised the alarm.
One of the three victims of the accident was identified as 22-year-old American mechanical engineer William Joseph Jennings.
A crowdfunding campaign posted on behalf of the family says Mr. Jennings was a recent graduate of Northwestern University in Boston.
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It says it has joined Australia’s firefighting efforts “in the hope of providing aid and relief to those affected.”
“His heart was always about making a positive impact on the world, no matter how big or small,” the statement read.
“We know his legacy will continue to inspire others to make an impact.”
Superintendent Tom Armitt of Mount Isa Police said a disaster victim identification unit would arrive on scene to assist with the recovery of bodies on Monday morning.
Police assisted the Australian Transport Safety Bureau in the early stages of its investigations on behalf of the State Coroner.
A first report is expected in six to eight weeks.
