New South Wales

IAI 1124 Westwind aircraft, registered VH-IWJ, was operating under a current Certificate of Registration, the holder of which was Pel-Air Aviation Pty Ltd (Pe1-Air). The aircraft was operated by Pel-Air and, at the time of the accident, it was engaged on a regularly scheduled cargo service. This service was operated under the terms of a current Charter and Aerial Work Licence, and was flown on behalf of Ansett Air Freight, a subsidiary of Ansett Transport Industries Pty Ltd. The particular flight, designated Flight 474, was operated on 4 nights each week from Sydney to Brisbane and Cairns, Queensland. The aircraft had departed Cairns earlier in the evening and had flown via Brisbane to Sydney, arriving at 2336 hours. The arriving crew reported that the aircraft was performing normally. A total of 1,350 litres of fuel was added to the aircraft tanks and loading of general cargo was carried out by Ansett Air Freight personnel. The flight plan submitted to Air Traffic Control (ATC) indicated that the flight would follow the normal Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) procedures. The estimated time interval to Brisbane was 70 minutes at planned Flight Level 370 (approximate altitude of 37,000 feet). The aircraft carried sufficient fuel for 164 minutes of flight, and refuelling was planned to take place at Brisbane prior to departure for Cairns. Pel-Air intended to use the flight to assess the performance of the rostered co-pilot, who was being considered for upgrading to command status. He was to occupy the left hand control seat, while the right hand seat occupant was the Chief Pilot of the company. At 0033 hours the crew established radio contact on the Sydney ATC Clearance Delivery frequency, and were given a "16 West Maitland One" Standard Instrument Departure (SID). The flight pattern associated with this clearance requires the aircraft to maintain heading after take-off on Runway 16 until reaching a height of 500 feet, when a left turn is made to intercept the 126 radial of the Sydney VOR (Very High Frequency Omnidirectional Range). At a position of 6 nautical miles by Distance Measuring Equipment (DME) from the aerodrome, a left turn onto 357 degrees is made in order to continue tracking with reference to the West Haiti and VOR. A copy of the applicable SID chart is shown at Appendix A. Shortly before 0049 hours the crew contacted Sydney Control Tower, and the aircraft was directed to taxi for a departure from Runway 16. At the time the wind was light and variable. After receiving the appropriate clearance, an evidently normal take-off was made, and at 0056 hours contact was established with Sydney Departures Control. The pilot in command advised that the aircraft was on climb to Flight Level 370 , and requested the direct track to Brisbane. This was a standard request, to allow the aircraft to proceed directly to the destination rather than follow the various radio navigation aids along the route. Such a request was normally granted by ATC if the general traffic situation permitted use of the direct track, and provided the aircraft was equipped with a suitable navigation system. VH-IWJ was fitted with a VLF/Omega navigation system which was capable of direct tracking. After ascertaining this, the Departures controller advised the aircraft that the direct track to Brisbane would probably be available. The acknowledgment of this comment was the last recorded transmission from the aircraft. Shortly before 0059 hours the Departures controller broadcast the clearance for the aircraft to track direct to Brisbane at the planned cruising level. No response was received from the aircraft, although the controller noted that radar returns were still visible on his screen. Shortly afterwards, these returns faded, and the Distress Phase of Search and Rescue procedures was Instituted at 0100 hours. At about this time, a number of persons observed what appeared to be the lights of an aircraft descending rapidly towards the sea. The lights maintained their position relative to each other, indicating that the aircraft was not rotating as it descended. The aircraft had faded from the radar screen at a point about 11 kilometres south-east of Sydney Airport. A search of the area was commenced using helicopters and boats. Wreckage Identified as being from the aircraft was sighted by a helicopter at 0245 hours. Recovery of pieces of the aircraft structure, freight and human remains was effected by Police and Department of Aviation launches. The degree of destruction indicated that the aircraft had struck the water while travelling at high speed. The bulk of the wreckage was presumed to be lying in about 85 metres of water about 5 kilometres out to sea from Botany Bay. An Intensive search was carried out by vessels from the Royal Australian Navy, later assisted by a vessel from the NSW Department of Fisheries and Agriculture. Use was made of various underwater detection devices. Search efforts were hampered by persistent unfavourable sea conditions and no trace was found of the wreckage. Operations were finally suspended towards the end of November 1985. An Internationally recognised underwater location and salvage expert was then employed, and the wreckage was ultimately located and identified in 92 metres of water on 20 January 1986. Recovery of the Flight Data and Cockpit Voice Recorders, the major portions of both engines, and sundry other pieces of the aircraft structure, was effected the following month.

The pilot reported that shortly after the aircraft became airborne, he noted a substantial change in propeller pitch noise and an associated loss of performance. Insufficient runway remained to permit a landing straight ahead. The pilot raised the landing gear and flap, however the aircraft failed to climb and the airspeed decayed to below the safe single engine speed. The take-off attempt was abandoned and a forced landing was carried out off the end of the runway. The rear fuselage impacted heavily on a dirt bank 78 metres beyond the runway threshold, following which the aircraft passed through a fence and slid for a further 78 metres before coming to rest. All nine occupants escaped uninjured.

The aircraft was being used to transport equipment for members of an Aero Club, who were to carry out training at Goulburn. As the pilot was undergoing formation flying training, it was decided that he would lead a formation of two aircraft for the flight. A briefing on the procedures to be followed was carried out. During the flight the pilot of the second aircraft began to suspect the accuracy of his aircraft's airspeed indicator and requested that it be checked against that of the lead aircraft as the aircraft joined the circuit. The pilot of the lead aircraft extended the landing gear and flew the initial leg of the circuit at an indicated airspeed of 96 knots. At the end of this leg the pilot turned the aircraft steeply to the left, the nose dropped slightly and the aircraft flicked into a steep right turn. The aircraft then assumed a steep nose down attitude, however, the pilot was able to level the wings and raise the nose to the level attitude before impact. The impact occurred at a very high rate of sink. The pilot had not previously practiced steep turns at relatively slow airspeed and was not aware of the stalling speed in the given configuration and attitude. The pilot was subsequently unable to recall the reason for attempting a steeper than normal turn. When the aircraft stalled the pilot was unable to effect a full recovery in the height available before impact with the ground.

At a height of about 200 feet after take-off the right engine lost power. The pilot feathered the propeller and commenced a gentle left turn in order to return to the strip. He later advised that the aircraft began to sink towards some large trees and he was forced to increase the angle of bank in an effort to avoid them. Shortly afterwards the aircraft struck the ground heavily in an adjacent paddock about 1 kilometre from the strip.

At a height of approximately 50 feet after take-off the engine suddenly lost all power. The pilot was able to glide the aircraft over several drainage banks, two fences and an irrigation canal but a high rate of descent developed and the aircraft landed heavily and overturned. Fire broke out and the central section of the fuselage was burnt out. The pilot, sole on board, was slightly injured.

Prior to departure the pilot had received a weather forecast which indicated that fog could be expected at the destination. Adequate fuel was carried in the aircraft tanks to allow for a considerable period of holding and/or a diversion to another aerodrome if required. After an apparently normal flight of 35 minutes the aircraft arrived in the Goulburn area and the pilot reported his intention to carry out a standard instrument approach. The manoeuvres associated with this procedure do not involve flight over the city of Goulburn, however witnesses observed the aircraft as it circled over the city several times at a relatively low height. It was then seen to roll and descend steeply before striking two houses. A fierce fire broke out which engulfed the aircraft and both residences. The three persons on board the aircraft and a person in one of the houses received fatal injuries. A detailed inspection of the wreckage revealed that the camshaft of the left engine had failed in flight and the pilot had apparently feathered the propeller. The engine was not operating at the time of impact. No other defect or malfunction was discovered which might have contributed to the development of the accident. It was determined that the particular camshaft had failed from fatigue cracking, resulting from defective manufacture. It was considered likely that when the aircraft arrived over Goulburn, shallow fog obscured all or part of the aerodrome. The lights of the city would have been clearly visible and the pilot probably decided to use the city, rather than the nearby radio navigation aid, as a convenient holding point while waiting for conditions at the aerodrome to improve. During a series of left hand orbits, and after advising his intention to conduct an instrument approach, the pilot experienced a complete failure of the left engine. In order to realise the available single-engine performance of the aircraft the pilot had to perform a series of checks and actions which would result in the applicable propeller being feathered; any unnecessary aerodynamic drag being reduced; and an appropriate airspeed being established. It was determined that although the propeller had probably been feathered, the landing gear, which had evidently been lowered previously, had not been raised to reduce drag. In addition, an analysis of radar returns from the aircraft, recorded at Canberra, indicated that the airspeed at which the aircraft was flying shortly before radar contact was lost, was less than the optimum figure. The final manoeuvre described by witnesses was consistent with that which follows a loss of control in twin engine aircraft when power is being supplied by only one engine and the speed is below the minimum required for full control. The reason the pilot did not raise the landing gear and maintain the required minimum control speed could not be established.

During the flight the pilot reported that he would descend to cruise at 500 feet above ground level. Witnesses saw an aircraft at low level on the expected track, and others heard aircraft noise and then the sound of an impact. Weather conditions were overcast with low cloud covering the hills. The wreckage was found at an elevation of about 4,300 feet above mean sea level. The aircraft had apparently struck the ground while in a steep nosedown attitude and rotating to the right. A fire had broken out and engulfed the wreckage. The pilot, sole on board, was killed.

The aircraft was cleared via a Standard Instrument DEPARTURE with an unrestricted climb to Flight Level (FL) 220. The aircraft climbed on track at an average rate of 1300 ft/min until FL130. The rate of climb then reduced to 350 ft/min until FL140, when the rate of climb increased to 1800 ft/min. At FL160 the aircraft entered a near vertical descent and radar contact was lost one minute later at 3100 feet. The aircraft impacted the ground in a near vertical attitude. The pilot, sole on board, was killed.

After takeoff from Merimbula Airport, while climbing, the twin engine airplane went out of control and crashed in the marina of Merimbula. The pilot, sole on board, was killed.

Crashed in unknown circumstances in Yass while engaged in a crop spraying mission. The pilot, sole on board, was injured.