Date & Time:
Mar 12, 1990
Type of aircraft:
GAF Nomad N.24
Operator:
Registration:
A18-401
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Edinburgh AFB - Edinburgh AFB
MSN:
128
YOM:
1982
Country:
Australia
Region:
Oceania
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
1
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
1
Aircraft flight hours:
300
Circumstances:
The pilot, sole on board, was completing a local training flight at Edinburgh AFB. On approach, the tail separated and the aircraft dove into the ground and crashed near the airfield. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot F/Lt Glenn Kemshall Donovan was killed.
Probable cause:
After being manufactured in 1982, the airplane was used by GAF (renamed Aerospace Technologies of Australia - ASTA in 1987) for testing. Amongst others, service records indicated 177 hours of single engine ground running. This meant that the airplane was subjected to many high frequency asymmetric cycles. Cracks initiated and grew predominately due to torsional loading. Upon delivery to the RAAF, the airplane was inspected but this failed to detect significant cracking. The tailplane centre section failed in flight, 19 hours after the inspection.
