Oceania

The pilot attended the Bankstown Briefing Office at about 0600 hours. He was briefed concerning the current weather conditions at Bankstown Airport, which were Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC) but were Improving to VMC; and the relevant meteorological forecasts which indicated, for his proposed route, that he might experience some difficulty in maintaining flight In Visual Meteorological Conditions (VMC). The pilot's licence was not endorsed to permit him to operate in other than VMC. He then submitted a flight plan for a flight from Bankstown Airport to Warracknabeal and return, proceeding over Marulan the estimated time interval thereto being 33 minutes, the flight to be conducted in accordance with the Visual Flight Rules (VFR) at altitudes not exceeding 5000 feet. The aircraft departed Bankstown Airport, in VMC, and established two way communication with Sydney Flight Service Unit (FSU). At 0748 hours the pilot advised the Sydney FSU that he was "returning to Camden, estimating Camden at one five". In response to a query the pilot advised "weather okay". No further communications were received from the aircraft. At about 0755 hours the aircraft was heard and observed flying in an easterly direction some 20 kilometres north-northeast of Marulan. There was low cloud and some light rain in the area. The aircraft was flying below the cloud base and was at a height of 500 feet to 200 feet above undulating terrain, proceeding towards rugged terrain which was gradually rising. Subsequently the aircraft proceeded over a ridge line out of the sight of witnesses. Shortly thereafter the engine noise ceased abruptly. The police were alerted and search and rescue action was initiated. The wreckage of the aircraft was located some eight hours later. The aircraft had crashed on a heavily timbered 12 degree upslope about 100 feet below a ridge line. At Impact the aircraft was in a nose down attitude and was banked some 45 degrees to the right. The right hand propeller was feathered and the engine had not been operating at impact. The left hand engine had been under power. The landing gear and flaps had been fully retracted. The available evidence Indicates that the gross weight of the aircraft was at or about the maximum permissible all up weight. Examination of the right hand engine revealed massive internal failure which had commenced with the failure of the right hand dowel In the Number 2 main crankcase bearing. It is probable that the dowel failed because of abnormal loads resulting from loss of bearing nip associated with crankcase fretting at the lower through bolt of the Number 2 bearing saddle. It is estimated that the engine had operated some 170 hours since issue of the last maintenance release on 26 October 1976.

Shortly after takeoff, the single engine airplane entered a right turn, struck trees and crashed. The pilot, sole on board, was killed.

At approximately 1103 hours Eastern Standard Time (EST) on 6 August 1976 the pilot of Nomad N24 aircraft Serial Number 10 encountered control difficulty at a height of about 950 feet immediately after taking off at Avalon Aerodrome. The aircraft entered a descending turn to the left through about 175 degrees and struck the ground. The pilot was killed; the occupant of the other pilot seat, an observer, sustained injuries which resulted in his death two days later; and the third occupant, the flight test engineer, was seriously injured.

The aircraft departed Polo Flat at 0750 hours on a planned flight to Khancoban, Talbingo and return. There was dense fog at Polo Flat at this time and the aircraft took off and climbed through fog until it was in clear conditions above. At Cooma Aerodrome, fog which had existed earlier dissipated about 0715 hours and the weather at that location then remained clear. When the aircraft returned to the Polo Flat area shortly after 0930 hours, fog was still present but it was commencing to break with patches of blue sky visible from time to time. Information regarding the weather conditions was communicated to the, pilot who had established radio contact with the base operations officer at Polo Flat. Shortly after the aircraft arrived in the area it was observed to make what appeared to be a landing approach into the north but when it had descended to a height of 10 to 15 feet the approach was discontinued and it climbed away. After flying for some time above the fog at a height of about 500 feet the aircraft was heard approaching from the south and the operations officer heard the pilot transmit the words 'hit the...'. Shortly afterwards the sound of an impact was heard. The port wing of the aircraft had struck the radio transmitter mast 32 feet from the top and the aircraft crashed to the ground in a steep nose-down attitude some 146 metres north of the mast. A fierce fire developed shortly after impact.
Crew:
John Howard, pilot.
Passengers:
Evelyn Anne Harvey,
Patricia Joy Harvey.

Crashed in unknown circumstances. Crew fate unknown as well as the exact date of the mishap, somewhere in 1975.

While taking off from Ingelara Airstrip, the twin engine airplane crashed in unknown circumstances. It was damaged beyond repair and all four occupants were rescued. The airplane was completing an ambulance flight.

Crashed in unknown circumstances. No casualties.

Crashed in unknown circumstances. The pilot was rescued.

DH-114 Heron registered VH-CLS was operating Connair Flight 1263 from Alice Springs to Cairns landing at Mount Isa en route. At 12:57 hours VH-CLS taxied to runway 30 at Alice Springs and was cleared for takeoff. The flight landed at Mount Isa at 15:35 hours after making a visual approach. At 16:46 hours VH-CLS taxied to runway 34 at Mount Isa, and the flight reported its departure as 16:55 hours at which time it was climbing to its planned cruising altitude of 7000 feet. As the flight progressed position reports at the appropriate reporting points were received. At 18:01 hours, VH-CLS advised that it was descending to cruise at 6000 feet. Subsequently, at 18:49 hours, VH-CLS reported as being at the Saucebottle Creek position, 146 km southwest of Cairns, at an altitude of 6000 feet. The crew indicated an ETA at the Biboohra VOR, 35 km west of Cairns, of 19:12. VH-CLS was then advised by the Cairns aerodrome/approach controller, through the Cairns Flight Service Unit (FSU), to expect an ILS approach to runway 15 at Cairns Airport. At 18:54 hours the Cairns aerodrome/approach controller issued an air traffic clearance, for transmission through the Cairns FSU, authorising VH-CLS to enter the control area via the 049 degree radial of the Biboohra VOR cruising at 6000 feet and using an altimeter setting of 1006 millibars. At about 18:55 hours, the Weather Service Office (WSO) located at Cairns Airport observed a thunderstorm, without precipitation, in the vicinity of the airport and the following 'special' aerodrome weather report was issued: Wind : 360 degrees at 6 knots, visibility : 10 km or more, thunderstorm without precipitation, 1/8 cumulonimbus clouds, base 3000 feet, 4/8 cumulus, base 2300 feet, 4/8 strato cumulus, base 4000 feet. This was reported to the crew. At 19:10 hours, VH-CLS reported to the Cairns aerodrome/approach controller that it was over the Biboohra VOR at 6000 feet and, following confirmation by VH-CLS that its 'preferred approach' was an ILS approach, it was cleared 'on the Biboohra zero four nine radial, descend to three seven zero zero for an ILS approach runway one five, and report at Buchan Locator'. VH-CLS acknowledged this instruction and advised that the aircraft was leaving 6000 feet. At 19:17:29 hours, VH-CLS reported over the Buchan Locator turning outbound onto a heading of 330 degrees this being the standard ILS procedure; the aerodrome/approach controller cleared the aircraft for an ILS approach and instructed it to report leaving 3700 feet. At 19:20:54 hours, VH-CLS reported 'leaving three seven zero zero' implying that the aircraft had commenced the final approach segment of the ILS approach. The aerodrome/approach controller acknowledged the report and radioed: 'wind from the northwest, maximum downwind component runway one five not above six knots, runway wet, clear to land'. At 19:22:53 hours, the controller notified VH-CLS 'there's a moderately heavy shower at the field now, visibility er is reducing as the shower moves south, visibility to the south at the moment er in excess of four thousand metres, high intensity approach and runway lighting is on, advise when you would like the intensity decreased'. VH-CLS acknowledged. At 19:26:23 hours, VH-CLS reported 'going round' and the aerodrome/approach controller instructed VH-CLS to 'make missed approach on a heading of zero three five and climb to three seven zero zero'. VH-CLS turned away from the airport, descended to a low height above terrain, and completed about 270 degrees of a left hand orbit. It then entered a turn to the right during which it descended and crashed.

Crashed in unknown circumstances into Open Bay. No casualties.