Hayes was a licensed pilot for more than 20 years and was believed to be en route from Brisbane to Mildura on a test flight because he was interested in buying the Lancair kit-plane in which he was a passenger. Hayes regularly flew his own plane to race meetings and home to Lindsay Park from Melbourne.The Australian Transport and Safety Bureau said investigators would put together a report to be presented before a coroner's inquiry after investigations into the crash are complete.
One of Australia's leading trainers, Peter Hayes, was killed when the plane in which he was a passenger crashed in Victoria, Australia, on Tuesday. An unidentified 67-year-old pilot also died in the crash.The 52-year-old Hayes, who has been the leading trainer in Victoria and South Australia for three of the past five years, was the son of the late Colin Hayes, legendary trainer and owner of Lindsay Park Stud in South Australia's Barossa Valley. His younger brother David Hayes also is a leading trainer in Hong Kong. Hayes began training at Oakbank in 1984, and returned to his family's Lindsay Park in 1995. In all, Hayes trained 13 Group One winners, his greatest victory coming in the 1999 Victoria Derby with Blackfriars.
