Oceania

Shortly after takeoff from runway 10 at Broome Airport, the twin engine airplane lost height and crashed in a mangrove. All seven occupants were injured and quickly rescued. The airplane was en route to the Mungalalu-Truscott AFB located in the Anjo Peninsula.

After 4 passengers disembarked the aircraft on a flight from Doomadgee, the pilot planned to conduct a flight from Normanton to Cairns, Queensland. Shortly after takeoff from Normanton Airport's Runway 32, the twin engine airplane collided with terrain and a post-impact fire ensued. The pilot, who was the sole occupant of the aircraft, sustained fatal injuries, and the aircraft was destroyed.

The single engine airplane departed Moruya Airport on a local skydiving flight with eight skydivers and one pilot on board. After all eight occupants jumped out, the pilot was returning to base when the airplane crashed in unknown circumstances 2 km north of the airfield. The pilot was killed and the airplane was destroyed. It was owned by Jump Aviation and operated by Skyone Moruya.

The crew departed Warwick Airport at 1426LT on a positioning flight to Oakey Airfield. On approach to runway 14, the twin engine airplane went out of control and crashed in a grassy area located 2 km from the airfield, bursting into flames. Both occupants were killed.

After takeoff from the Thomson Bay in Rottnest Island, the single engine seaplane banked left, causing the left wing tip to struck the water surface. The airplane water looped and plunged into the water, floating in a vertical attitude. Three passengers were seriously injured while one was unhurt. Two others (one Swiss and one Danish citizen) as well as the pilot were killed.

The single engine airplane departed Wasu Airfield at 1012LT on a charter flight to Lae-Nadzab Tomodachi Airport, with an ETA at 1047LT. On board were five people, four passengers and one pilot. The passengers included a member of the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary (RPNGC) and an employee from the Housing Ministry. Few minutes after takeoff from Wasu, while cruising at an altitude of 8,400 feet in marginal weather conditions, the airplane impacted trees and crashed in a wooded and hilly terrain near Sapmanga, southwest of Wasu. The airplane was destroyed and all five occupants were killed. The total airframe hours and landings mentioned above stopped to December 3, 2024.

The airplane departed Port Vila International Airport at 1229LT, carrying 6 passengers to Tanna, 217 km to the south-south-east. The pilot then continued a further 106 km south-south-east to Mystery Island, Aneityum, arriving at 1402. After picking up 4 passengers, the aircraft departed Aneityum at 1412, destined for Port Vila. About 130 km from Port Vila, the pilot observed the fuel quantity gauges indicating significantly less fuel remaining than expected. The pilot elected to continue over water to Port Vila, and about 24 km from the runway, the right engine surged and subsequently stopped producing power. About 3 minutes later, the pilot advised air traffic control that they were 15 km from the airport at 4,000 ft, and the controller responded with a clearance to land on runway 29. No engine noise was detected in that transmission. Four minutes later, the pilot declared a MAYDAY and advised the controller that they were 9 km from the runway, at 1,500 ft and attempting to land at the airport. During that transmission, one engine surged briefly and then stopped. The pilot then radioed that they were losing altitude and would be landing in a farm. The aircraft collided with 2 coconut trees before impacting the ground. One passenger was fatally injured, 2 passengers sustained serious injuries, the pilot and one passenger sustained minor injuries, and the aircraft was destroyed.

The pilot reported that, during a short field takeoff on a runway that was flooded by heavy rain, the airplane’s right landing gear wheel went into a deep puddle of water and the airplane veered right. The pilot attempted to lift the airplane into ground effect to regain directional control, but the airplane was traveling too slow. The airplane exited the right side of the runway into tall grass and vegetation. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wing spar and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. All 10 occupants escaped uninjured and the airplane was damaged beyond repair.

At 0646LT, the single engine airplane departed Lizard Island Airport on a non-scheduled passenger service to Cairns. On board were the pilot and 9 passengers. After takeoff from runway 12, the pilot turned right, tracked south-southwest and made a departure call to Brisbane Centre air traffic control (ATC). At 1,750 feet above mean sea level, the pilot turned left onto the departure track in a cruise climb and engaged the autopilot. At 0652LT, passing 3,400 feet at an indicated airspeed of 102 kt, the pilot noted a change to the engine sound and that the aircraft was accelerating. The pilot checked the engine gauges on the Garmin G1000 multifunction flight display. They noted the values indicated on both the engine torque and interstage turbine temperature gauges were above the redline and the gas generator speed and fuel flow were not indicating, being marked with a diagonal red cross through the gauge locations. The propeller revolutions per minute was high but within the green operating range. Within 10 seconds, the pilot initiated a left turn with the purpose of returning to Lizard Island and broadcast a PAN PAN call on the area frequency advising their intentions. Despite trying to arrest it, the aircraft continued to climb and accelerate over the next 2 minutes reaching 4,000 feet and 166 kt. The pilot started troubleshooting the issue by moving the power, propeller control and emergency power levers with the only response coming from the propeller control lever. The pilot also partially moved the fuel condition lever through the gate from low idle to cut-off and noted the engine power cutting in and out and returned the condition lever to low idle. At the same time, the pilot conducted a large orbit around the island attempting a shallow descent while the engine continued to produce excessive power. Further manipulation of the propeller control lever somewhat reduced the engine thrust. The pilot updated ATC on their situation and progressively deployed the flaps to create drag in an attempt to slow the aircraft. After one orbit of the island, the pilot felt they were low enough to attempt a landing with a 2 NM (4 km) final approach to runway 12 and notified ATC of their intentions. The pilot reported they were concerned with the populated resort accommodation and maintenance buildings on the approach end of the runway and the possibility of injury to those on board and on the ground if the aircraft did not have the energy to make the runway. To ensure they cleared potential obstacles, the pilot elected to perform a powered-on approach. The pilot continued to adjust the propeller lever in an attempt to reduce the engine thrust. The final approach was started at 147 kt (the pilot operating handbook stated the normal approach speed with full flaps was 75–85 kt). The pilot was able to reduce the airspeed to 123 kt by the runway threshold and reported attempting to shut down the engine. The aircraft floated along the down-sloping runway, bouncing and touching down at around 100 kt, an estimated two-thirds of the way along the runway. The pilot applied maximum braking, but the aircraft exited the end of the runway at 92 kt. The aircraft continued across undulating sandy soil and low vegetation before the left wingtip struck the ground, which spun and flipped the aircraft, coming to rest inverted, 127 metres from the end of the runway. All 10 occupants escaped with minor injuries and the airplane was damaged beyond repair.

On the morning of 10 November 2023, a Cessna 421C, registered VH-VPY, departed the Sunshine Coast Airport, Queensland for a transpacific international ferry flight to Oakland, California in the United States. Two pilots were on board to conduct the flight, where the first leg was planned to stop at Pago Pago, American Samoa. The aircraft was configured with additional ferry fuel tanks to ensure sufficient fuel was available between the stops for the extended journey across the open ocean. Approximately 50 minutes after departure, the left engine failed and the pilots initiated a return to the Sunshine Coast. During the return leg the pilots identified that the aircraft was unable to maintain altitude and calculations based on the descent rate indicated they would be unable to reach the Sunshine Coast. The pilots notified air traffic control of their intention to ditch, who immediately engaged the national search and rescue service provider. After considering the configuration of the aircraft, the pilots elected not to follow the aircraft manufacturer’s guidance on ditching. They configured the aircraft to avoid a nose down attitude on touchdown and allowed their airspeed to slow before the aircraft contacted the water. Both occupants were uninjured and exited through the rear door. After deploying the emergency life raft, both pilots were retrieved by a rescue helicopter 32 minutes after ditching. The aircraft sank and was not recovered.