Pilot killed in WA plane crash identified

Authorities identified Malcolm Vivian, 76, as the pilot who died in a plane crash in the Wheatbelt area of Western Australia on Wednesday. Vivian was flying just outside Northam in a single-seat aircraft he built himself when the plane crashed in Malabaine at about 11 a.m. A WA police spokesperson said emergency services located the sole occupant deceased at the scene. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) reported Vivian was flying a replica of a Spitfire, a World War II-era single-seat fighter aircraft that aviation enthusiasts often build from scratch. He was a Perth-based aviation enthusiast and active member of the Sport Aircraft Association of Australia and the Sport Aircraft Builders Club, which had also helped build parts for a fuselage at a local high school. ATSB investigators are scheduled to arrive on Thursday, and a preliminary report is expected in eight weeks.