Aviation

20.4, crash, findings

Australia: the pilot of a fatal aircraft crash north of Adelaide in May 2005 was suffering a terminal illness and was not permitted to fly, an investigation has found. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau released its findings into last year’s fatalities, revealing also that a warning system that may have alerted those on board to the impending crash had also been disconnected. The pilot, a 63 year old man and his 17 year old passenger were both killed in the crash that occurred soon after take-off from the Stonefield airstrip near Truro. The crash occurred while the pilot was performing a low-level spin manoeuvre, 500 feet above ground level. The manoeuvre left little or no margin for error and required sound judgment and skill. Although the pilot may have possessed those skills, no evidence was found of his ever having undertaken the appropriate check to assess those skills and obtain approval to conduct low-level aerobatic manoeuvres. The ATSB said in the year prior to the crash, the pilot had been advised he was suffering a terminal illness and was subsequently prohibited by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority from flying as a pilot. Despite the ban, the pilot logged more than 20 flight hours. The ATSB also found the aircraft was 20kg over the maximum allowable weight and an electrical lead on its stall warning system had been disconnected.