Town grieves for dad and daughter

The plane was transporting tourists to the Kokoda Track (pictured), a trail linking the southern and northern coasts of Papua New Guinea. Photo / Wikimedia Commons image by Luke Brindley

MELBOURNE - When Leanne Harris came up with the idea of taking on the Kokoda Track, her dad Max Cranwell got the all-clear from his doctor and the father-daughter team were set for the trip of a lifetime.

The deaths of the Australian dairy farmer and firefighter and his daughter in a plane crash in Papua New Guinea on their way to Kokoda has shocked the small town of Hazelwood North in Victoria's east.

The Cranwell family has played such a significant part in the history of the Gippsland town, a street - Cranwell Crescent - is named in their honour.

"You could not say a bad thing about Max or his family, he was so well known, such a wonderful person," said Sylvia Cranwell, whose husband David is Max's first cousin.

"The family are totally involved in each other's lives, they have lots of grandchildren and Max lived his whole life in Hazelwood North.

"I don't think it has registered with me. It is horrific. They are such a lovely family and have lost two people from the one family."

Cranwell, 66, and Harris, a 35-year-old mother of two, were among 13 people killed when the plane crashed in dense jungle.

Nine Australians, a Japanese national and three Papua New Guineans perished after the plane went down in dense Papua New Guinea jungle just north of the village of Isurava, 1500m above sea level.

Lax aviation standards have been a problem in PNG for many years.

There are questions surrounding the investigation of 19 air crashes since 2000 which, up until the latest accident, had killed 16 people, including three Australians and three New Zealanders.

Australia's High Commissioner Chris Moraitis had been told that PNG police had confirmed no one on the Airlines of Papua New Guinea flight CG4684 had survived.

One member of the group is believed to be Matthew Leonard, 28, a Victorian fireman and part-time tour guide. Other Australian members of the group are believed to include Kelly Weire, Hannah Kinross, Dr June Canavan and Keith Gracie. Shonia Holliday of Bendigo said her bank manager husband, Peter, was on his way with his cousin Euan Comrie to walk the Kokoda Track in a tribute to his veteran grandfather.

Local guide Steven Jaruba of Kokoda was also on board, along with a yet to be named Japanese tourist and two local pilots, Jannie Moala and Royden Soauka.

Four specialist investigators from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau will go to PNG to assist in the collection and analysis of evidence.

- AAP