10AM UPDATE: : A NORTH East pilot killed on his way back from delivering supplies to those fighting the NSW bushfires "died doing something he loved," family say. 

Euroa pilot Peter Brereton's family released a statement this morning that grieved the loss of a man they said was "well-respected" throughout the community. 

The 60-year-old husband and father had recently retired from his position as officer-in-charge at the Shepparton fire station and Country Fire Authority operations officer at the district 22 headquarters.

His family said he had been a volunteer with the organisation for 39 years and was also an active member of the Euroa community and church.

"Peter died doing something he loved; he had a passion for flying and was an experienced pilot who had flown extensively across Australia," the statement said. 

"He was widely known and respected throughout much of North Eastern Victoria and beyond and we recognise that his many friends and colleagues will be distressed by this tragic loss.

"His wife Lyn and his children Marianne, Natalie, Kate, David and Michael and their partners Sonny, Tané, Emma and Nicole have gathered with other family members and close friends at this time to grieve their loss and give thanks for his life."

An experienced pilot, Mr Brereton was returning from Moruya on the NSW south coast bound for Mangalore, near Seymour, when the Cessna 182 he was flying crashed west of Mount Hotham.

It’s not known what time the plane came down, but authorities discovered the wreckage at 8.40am yesterday on the side of Mount Blue Rag, below the Dargo High Plains Road in a search that had begun on Wednesday.

Mr Brereton’s death was confirmed only hours before a second pilot died when he crashed his water bomber while trying to put out a blaze in bushland near Ulladulla, also on the NSW south coast.

Father-of-three David Black, of Trangie in central NSW, had been flying in response to several blazes in the Budawang National Park when his plane went down.

- Pilot David Black was a husband, father and a hero

Yesterday, Mr Brereton was remembered as a tireless volunteer and respected member of the CFA and Euroa community.

Mr Brereton, a recipient of the National Medal for long service, had been a CFA member for 39 years and was a volunteer at Balmattum, near Euroa, since his retirement from Shepparton.

His wife, Lyn Brereton, also worked for the Country Fire Authority.

Strathbogie Shire councillor and Euroa resident Graeme Williams said Mr Brereton was a “great asset”.

“He was highly-regarded and well-respected within the CFA because he was able to give them support and direction,” Cr Williams said.

“He spoke to everybody, was connected to the whole town and he and his wife were real volunteers for the community.”

Mr Williams spoke about watching Mr Brereton work on improving his Euroa home this year after he retired.

“He had done it all up and I only thought last week that ‘Gee Pete, you’ve done a great job there’,” Mr Williams said.

“It’s a real tragedy for the town and the CFA and everybody really.”

Mr Brereton was trained as an aviation specialist with the CFA.

Bright police and personnel from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau are now investigating why the plane Mr Brereton had hired from Kestrel Aviation in Mangalore had come down.

Bright Sen-Sgt Doug Incoll said the investigation could take up to a year.

“It’s a complex inquiry. You’ve got to go through all the mechanics of an aircraft, the weather conditions like wind and temperature, and all those things that have an effect on flight,” Sen-Sgt Incoll said.

He said the crash site was in rugged and steep terrain, with officers trekking in or dropped in via helicopter.

Last night investigators with the Australian Transport Safety Bureau were still to make their initial inspection of the crash site.