4 Texas men killed in Australian plane crash

MELBOURNE, Australia – All four American tourists killed Tuesday in a plane crash in Australia were from Texas, according to officials, family members and media reports say.

Family members have identified one of the victims as 67-year-old John Washburn of the Austin area.

The plane, carrying four men and an Australian pilot, crashed shortly after takeoff in a Melbourne shopping center.

All five men on board were killed.

Washburn’s daughter, Davis Griffin of Houston, said her father was on a golf trip in Australia with three of his friends and their wives, when the men chartered a small plane.

"He was thoughtful, and he's calm, and he's kind,” Griffin told Channel 2 over the phone Tuesday. “He was really, really smart. And he was a really good dad.”

VIDEO: John Washburn's daughter speaks to KPRC Channel 2

U.S. embassy officials identified two of the other victims as Greg DeHaven and Russel Munsch. The Austin American-Statesman identified the fourth victim from Texas as Glen Garland.

Griffin said she was planning to fly to Australia to be with her mother, Washburn’s wife of 45 years.

Washburn, a retired attorney who lived in the Dallas area before moving to Austin, leaves behind two children and four grandchildren.

His daughter said he and his friends were avid golfers, who enjoyed traveling to play the sport they loved.

"He was pursuing what he loved to do,” Griffin said of her father. “And he was pursuing his passion, so I guess I get some comfort.”