New South Wales

Shortly after takeoff from Bankstown Airport, while climbing, the twin engine airplane stalled and crashed in a camping lot. The pilot, sole on board, was injured. There were no injuries on ground.

While flying over the Snowy Mountains on a cargo flight from Bankstown to Melbourne, the pilot reported icing conditions. Shortly later, the three engine airplane went out of control and crashed in a wooded area. The aircraft was destroyed and both occupants were killed. It was later reported that a cold front was coming across the area with low temperatures and icing conditions.

The aircraft was engaged in a scheduled service, designated Flight DR 4210, from Sydney to Temora and Condobolin, within the State of New South Wales. The scheduled departure time was 1845 hours. At 1844 hours the pilot of VH-AAV contacted Sydney Airport Clearance Delivery by radio and requested his airways clearance. The airways clearance issued was a Standard Instrument Departure (SID), titled '25 Katoomba Two'. That SID specified that radar headings would be assigned after take-off from Runway 25. The pilot correctly acknowledged the airways clearance. At 1848 hours the pilot contacted Sydney Ground Control and requested clearance to· taxi. This was granted and the aircraft was taxied to the holding point for Runway 25. The pilot reported to Sydney Aerodrome Control at 1858 hours that he was ready for take-off. Due to other traffic. the aircraft was not cleared to line up until 1906 hours. VH-AAV then entered Runway 25 and stopped about 50 metres from the threshold. At 1907 hours VH-AAV was cleared to 'maintain runway heading, maintain 3000 (feet), clear for take-off. This was correctly acknowledged and VH-AAV commenced takeoff. The aircraft became airborne and crossed the intersection with Runway 16/34, at a height of about 100 feet above ground level (AGL) at 1908:19 hours. The landing gear was retracted. Observers then noted the aircraft level off at about 150 feet AGL and commence a shallow banked turn to the left. As this was contrary to the departure instructions, Aerodrome Control was about to query the pilot when, at 1908:33 hours. he advised: ' ... we've lost er, the left engine. Request landing, ah, landing on runway three four immediately please.' This was acknowledged and Aerodrome Control cleared VH-AAV for a visual approach to a left base for Runway 34. During these transmissions, VH-AAV continued its left turn through approximately 90 degrees, onto a southerly heading. It had maintained a height of about 150 feet AGL and the left propeller was probably in the process of feathering. At 1908:44 hours, Aerodrome Control queried' ... do you have the seven two seven in sight on short final.' At 1908:49 hours, the pilot of VH-AAV replied, 'Affirmative'. The other aircraft referred to by Aerodrome Control was an Ansett Airlines of Australia Boeing 727, VH-RMO, which was on approach for Runway 34. Shortly after passing over the shore of Botany Bay, VH-AAV entered a steady descent and then levelled off just above the water. The left turn was continued and the aircraft converged towards the western side of the sea wall enclosing the extension of Runway 16/34. At 1908:50 hours, Aerodrome Control asked,' ... will your approach and landing be normal.' The reply, eight seconds later, was 'Alpha Alpha Victor negative'. At 1909:08 hours, Aerodrome Control activated the crash alarm system. In addition, VH-RMO was directed' ... go around, correction, st ... stay on the runway and expedite. We have a landing, er, right behind you ... one engine out.' The initial direction was made prior to visually assessing the Boeing ?27's situation, but when, during the transmission, it was noted that the aircraft was on the ground and well established in its landing roll sequence, the 'expedite' instruction was substituted. At 1909:20 hours, Aerodrome Control cleared VH-AAV to land. This was not acknowledged. The final segment of the flight was at an extremely low altitude and in a nose-high attitude. The right propeller, on at least one occasion, probably contacted the water and the tail either furrowed the water or induced a wake. VH-AAV struck the sea wall in a nose-up attitude, banking to the left and skidding to the right. The left wing of the aircraft disintegrated. The resultant fuel spillage ignited and a 'fire ball' explosion occurred. The right engine and the outboard section or the right wing both separated and were thrown across the ground adjacent to the runway. The remainder of the aircraft bounced over the sea wall, landed inverted on a taxiway and slid backwards. The accident occurred in daylight at 1909:22 hours. The aircraft was totally destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all 13 occupants were killed.

While completing a local topdressing flight, the pilot lost control of the airplane that crashed in a field. The airplane was destroyed and the pilot, sole on board, was killed. It seems that the aircraft was working and part-way through an agricultural procedure turn, pulling probably 2G+ as normal, when the fin attachment bolts failed. The investigation concluded that apparently the fin and rudder had rolled through about 90 degrees and rested (horizontally) on the tailplane and elevator. The pilot would have been immediately deprived of vertical and directional control at that instant. Being at low altitude, there would have been no means of recovering, even if some vertical control could have been achieved. The wreckage was beyond economic repair and the aircraft was written off at that time. However, the investigation did lead to fleet-wide inspection of all fin attachment bolts and some worn/cracked bolts were revealed. An Airworthiness Directive was immediately issued and all the DHC-2 Beavers were grounded until the inspections and bolt replacements had been completed. While the Beaver was built as a rugged bush aircraft, it was subjected to repeated overload operations from rough agricultural airstrips and subjected to high aerodynamic G forces in every day of agricultural operations.
Source: Geoff Goodall.

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.

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.

Damaged beyond repair following a hard landing at Buckambool. There were no casualties.

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.

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.