Date & Time:
Jan 26, 1960 at 1230 LT
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DH.114 Heron
Operator:
Registration:
CR-TAI
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Darwin – Baucau
MSN:
14132
YOM:
1959
Country:
Australia
Region:
Oceania
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
2
Pax on board:
7
Pax fatalities:
7
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
9
Circumstances:
The four engine aircraft left Darwin Airport at 1133LT on a charter flight to Baucau. En route, the crew encountered poor weather conditions and about half an hour later, he was in contact with the crew of a TAT Heron registered CR-TAG. This was the last communication with the crew as shortly later, the airplane crashed into the sea off Bathurst Island. All nine occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
It was concluded that the most likely chief cause of the accident lay in the fact that the pilot was flying the aircraft in bad visibility conditions for which he was not duly qualified, and it was presumed that reasons of a psychological nature accounted for the accident.
