The cause of a fatal light plane crash that tragically killed a young man weeks before his 21st birthday has been revealed as an 'unrecoverable' stall during windy weather.
Jack Miller, 20, died after his Cessna 150 light aircraft fell near the Bacchus Marsh Aerodrome, about 50km northwest of Melbourne, on October 22, 2024.
Shortly after takeoff, Mr Miller's aircraft descended and crashed into a paddock adjacent to the aerodrome.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) released the findings of its investigation on Thursday, revealing he had 184 hours total aeronautical experience.
It described how the young pilot called off his first take-off, with no reason given, before returning and taking-off a second time.
'Shortly after take-off, in strong and gusty wind conditions, the aircraft stalled at a height too low to recover before colliding with terrain,' the report said.
'It is probable that the aircraft was too slow on take-off into those conditions, and that inputs made to counteract the crosswind increased the angle of attack of the left wing.
'These factors, combined with the wind conditions, increased the risk of a quick and unrecoverable stall.'
The report recounted the events of the incident, noting the aircraft climbed to about 45.7m above the runway before it pitched, with the nose and left wing dropping.
The plane then entered a vertical descent, rotating approximately 270 degrees before colliding with terrain.
ATSB said the plane was destroyed on impact and Mr Miller died at the scene.
There was no evidence the young man was incapacitated and no mechanical issues were found by the investigation.
In a safety message, the report said stalling can occur at any airspeed, altitude, and engine power but is 'most hazardous during take-off and landing' - when the aircraft is close to the ground.
'When gusting conditions are present, pilots should consider waiting for more benign conditions,' the report said.
'Guidance advises pilots to conduct their own testing in progressively higher winds to determine both their own capability and that of the aircraft.
'If pilots judge the weather to be suitable, they should consider climbing out at a higher airspeed to provide a buffer above their aircraft's stall speed for detection and correction of an impending stall.'
Mr Miller's family said after the incident that no investigation could fix the hole in their lives
Mr Miller's sister Nicole told 7NEWS at the time of the incident she was devastated by the loss of her 'best friend', who she remembered as 'caring and kind-hearted'.
'I couldn't believe it, I thought surely not because that wouldn't happen to such a great boy like Jack,' she said.
'He's not gonna be here for his 21st birthday that we would have loved to have celebrated.
'It's gonna be a really difficult day for everybody.'
Mr Miller would have celebrated his birthday five weeks after the crash.
His sister said the results of an investigation wouldn't alter the devastating loss felt by the family.
'We still don't have him and nothing will ever fix the place he had in our lives,' she said.