Oceania

During the morning of August 9, 1979, the aircraft was refuelled to capacity and three drums, each with a capacity of 20 litres, were also filled with fuel and placed in the baggage compartment. The aircraft, loaded with freight, subsequently departed Essendon at 1335 hours and proceeded to Cambridge where it arrived at 1536 hours. The freight was unloaded and, at 1621 hours, the aircraft departed for Launceston where it arrived at 1653 hours. It was again loaded with freight and departed Launceston at 1720 hours bound for Flinders Island. The aircraft landed at Flinders Island several minutes after the end of daylight, which was at 1745 hours, and the freight was unloaded. On the following day, the aircraft was again loaded with freight and the pilot subsequently reported departure from Flinders Island at 1329 hours, bound for Essendon. The take-off run was observed to be longer than usual for this type of aircraft and its rate of climb appeared to be less than normal. The IFR flight plan notified by the pilot before departure indicated his intention to cruise at an altitude of 4500 feet but, at 1410 hours, he reported to Melbourne Flight Service Unit "request traffic for a descent to proceed VFE we're getting 50 knot head wind here". On being advised that there was no traffic information, the pilot reported leaving 4500 feet. At 1502 hours, the pilot established communication with Essendon Tower, reported approaching Channel 0 at 1500 feet, and "request expedite clearance". He was issued with a clearance to enter controlled airspace at 1500 feet tracking from Channel 0 to Essendon via Clifton Hill. At 1506 hours he reported at Clifton Hill and, at 1507:38 hours, he advised "I'm sorry have a Mayday appear to have a fuel problem we'll have to land on a golf course". On being asked "which golf course?, the pilot replied "oh right where we are now". No further communications were received from the aircraft. The aircraft was observed by witnesses in the Northcote area initially on a north-westerly heading towards Essendon. E was seen to be descending and the sound of the engines was not normal. After flying over the northern section of the Northcote Municipal Golf Course, the aircraft commenced a descending left turn and [passed over a power transmission line which ran in a north-south direction near the western boundary of the golf course. As the turn continued towards an easterly heading, the aircraft again passed over the power line, at a very low height, and in strong tail wind conditions struck trees bordering a fairway while in a slightly left wing down, nose down, attitude. It struck the ground heavily just beyond the trees and the main wreckage travelled a further 73 metres before it came to rest on the edge of a green in the south-eastern corner of the golf course. Detailed examination of the wreckage of the aircraft revealed no evidence of any defect or malfunction which may have contributed to the accident. There was no significant fuel in the fuel systems of the two engines and there was negligible fuel in those cells of the fuel storage system which were undamaged. There was no fire. The pilot was in full time employment as an airline captain with a major operator. He was also involved financially and managerially in Norfish Pty. Ltd. and both he and the Company had financial difficulties at that time. The flight plan submitted by the pilot before departure from Essendon on August 9 contained false names in respect of both the pilot and the operator. Neither the pilot nor Norfish Pty Ltd held a Charter or Aerial Work Licence. The maximum specified take-off weight for the aircraft was 3357 kg. for VFR operations and 3243 kg. for IFR operations. It has been calculated that the gross weight of the aircraft was 3775 kg. when it departed Essendon for Cambridge on 9.8.79 and 3746 kg. when it departed Launceston for Flinders Island on the same day. The calculated gross weight was 4061 kg. when it departed Flinders Island on the day of the accident. Although fuel was available at Cambridge and Launceston, the aircraft was not refuelled after it 'departed from Essendon. The three 20 litre drums were located in the aircraft wreckage and, although all were damaged, detailed examination indicated that they ruptured under the action of hydraulic shock and that they wert filled at the time of the accident. The total operating time of the aircraft from departure Essendon until the time of the accident was consistent with a fuel endurance which could be expected in the circumstances leading to this accident.

Crashed in a field in Queanbeyan while conducting a crop spraying mission. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot, sole on board, was injured.

The pilot, sole on board, was completing a crop spraying mission in Yarrowitch when the airplane crashed in unknown circumstances. The pilot was rescued and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

While approaching Bua on a short 35-minute flight from Suva-Nausori Airport, the pilot encountered poor weather conditions. At an altitude of 1,450 feet, the twin engine airplane crashed in a hilly and wooded area located about 10 km northeast of Bua. The wreckage was found two days later in an isolated area. All nine occupants were killed.

The pilot commenced work that day at 07:30, flying to an airstrip from where topdressing operations were to be carried out. At about 08:30 he took off on a survey flight accompanied by the lessee of the property. The passenger pointed out to the pilot the location of a 220 kilovolt power transmission line consisting of six conductor wires that ran above the eastern section of the farm, the area to be topdressed. The pilot then used the airstrip to finish a sowing operation on another farm. On the completion of that task the pilot turned his attention to topdressing the area he had surveyed some three hours earlier. With the aircraft refueled he took off to make his first runs. ZK-CPN did not return from this flight. Two men working on a fence line saw the aircraft approaching from the direction of the airstrip. It passed out of their sight behind a large knoll, but they could tell from the sound of the motor that it was making sowing runs. The Fletcher then came back into view banking steeply and turning right. The men saw " something white " fall from the plane just before it dived into the ground. Rushing to the crash scene they found the wreckage of ZK-CPN lying upside down in a creek. Fire had not broken out.There was no sign of life. The pair set off at once to get assistance.The investigation showed that 1.4 meters of the outboard section of the right wing had been severed from the airframe by one of the lower conductor wires of the high voltage transmission line that ran above the sowing area. Evidence of impact by an aircraft was found on the wire. The RH aileron balance was found some distance away from the severed wing section and had been separated by impact with the wire as well. The aircraft had rolled uncontrollably to the right and dived, crashing inverted and in a near-vertical attitude. This was not a survivable accident. The flying weather at the time was fine with only high cloud. The visibility was estimated as 30 km.

On approach to Queenstown, the twin engine airplane went into clouds. The pilot initiated a go-around when the airplane struck dead trees and crashed on Mt Sorrell. All three occupants were slightly injured and evacuated while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

The pilot contacted Sydney Flight Service Center at 1849, advised he was taxiing for runway 22 and that he would call again on departure. No further transmissions were received from the aircraft. VH-TDU completed an apparently normal take off and the landing gear was retracted. Shortly after it became airborne, it entered a gradual descending left turn and flew into the ground. The initial impact was on the left wing tip, approximately 1700 metres south of the departure end of Runway 22, at a speed of about 125 knots. The aircraft bounced, rolled inverted and again struck the ground some 100 metres further to the east. It then ;slid across the ground for a further 230 metres. A small fuel-fed fire broke out in the right wing but died out after several minutes. Five occupants were slightly injured while the captain was killed. Examination of the wreckage found no evidence of pre-existing mechanical malfunction or defect, apart from an open circuit in the gyro motor of the pilot's turn co-ordinator instrument. The instrument was not subjected to mechanical damage during impact and it is likely the fault existed prior to the accident. It could not be determined whether the pilot was aware that the instrument was unserviceable. All other instruments, including the primary flight instruments used in aircraft attitude control, were found to be serviceable and calibrated within specified limits. There was no evidence of pilot incapacitation prior to impact. Injuries were such that he was unable to recall details of the final flight. The passengers were not aware of any abnormality until the aircraft struck the ground. The pilot's current log book was not located. Therefore, while it is known that he had considerable experience at flying Cessna 340 aircraft, his hours on this type are unknown.

Flying operations commenced at 07:30 a.m. after a delay caused by unfavourable weather. Twenty-seven loads of fertilizer were sown before the pilot and loader driver stopped for a 30-minute break. During this break the plane was refueled to capacity. After the break the pilot instructed the loader driver to put the same load in the hopper as before and then started his take off from the sloping airstrip. A witness thought the aircraft was taking longer to get off the ground than it had earlier. The loader driver looked up to see the plane in a left hand turn at a height of 30 to 40 feet just off the end of the strip and "porpoising". The angle of bank was then seen to increase to beyond vertical, and the plane crashed in an inverted attitude on the far side of a nearby gully. It was destroyed by impact and an intense fire and the pilot, sole on board, was killed. This was not a survivable accident.

On final approach to Auckland-Ardmore Airport, the aircraft's speed increased from 165 to 211 knots. The pilot-in-command (first officer) completed a last turn to join the runway 05 but was unable to locate it due to heavy showers. Too low, the airplane struck water surface and crashed in shallow water 1,025 meters short of runway 05 threshold. A pilot and a passenger were killed while two other occupants were injured.

The airplane departed King Island-Currie Airport on a cargo flight to Wynyard-Burnie Airport, carrying one pilot and a load of meat. Weather conditions worsened and the pilot was unable to locate the destination airport so he decided to divert to Devonport Airfield. Unfortunately, the visibility was too low and he eventually decided to return to King Island. While approaching the coast, both engines failed due to fuel exhaustion. The pilot attempted an emergency landing when the airplane crashed in a prairie located in Yarra Creek, on the east coast of the island. The pilot was injured and the aircraft was destroyed.