A friend of a pilot badly injured in a fiery plane crash near Maitland in the Hunter Valley has described how he did a "remarkable" job landing the plane away from houses.
- Early investigations suggest the aircraft had a fire on board after take-off
- The pilot David Jardine is a former RAAF member
- The Air Transport and Safety Bureau has been at the scene
Experienced pilot David Jardine, 48, took off from Rutherford Airfield in an Cessna on Monday afternoon and crash-landed moments later close to houses near Luskintyre Airfield a few kilometres away.
"The aircraft has had a fire on board and David was left with very little option but to try and get the aircraft back," Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association of Australia CEO Benjamin Morgan said.
"The fact that David was able to get the aircraft on the ground and was able to get himself out of the aircraft is just a remarkable feat.
"It is testament to the fact that David is such a cool and calm individual when flying."
Mr Morgan is also a close friend of Mr Jardine.
"I personally know David and the family and it's obviously a very difficult time," he said.
Mr Jardine, a former RAAF member, is in the Royal North Shore Hospital with burns to 80 per cent of his body after the Cessna exploded in flames shortly after it hit the ground.
"He is greatly loved by huge numbers across the aviation industry and there's been such a strong outpouring of support," Mr Morgan said.
"I can say the family has absolutely appreciated all of the emails and text messages that they've received.
"David has a journey in front of him and we just want to see he has a speedy recovery and he gets back up and going as soon as possible."
The Air Transport Safety Bureau will return to the scene today as it investigates the cause of the crash.