Australian accidents 19 December 2019 – 21 March 2020

3955
Scene of the fatal Lockhart River crash. Image: ATSB

Date 19 December
Aircraft Cessna P210N Pressurised Centurion (turbine conversion)
Location Near Moruya Airport, NSW
Fatalities 0
Description Aircraft crashed short of runway on approach after engine stopped. Two occupants seriously injured.

Date 1 January
Aircraft DHC-8 402Q Dash 8
Location Rockhampton, Qld
Fatalities 0
Description Airliner returned to airport after bird strike early in flight damaged centre fuselage wing fairing.

Date 2 January
Aircraft Gippsland GA-8 Airvan
Location Fraser Island, Qld
Fatalities 0
Description Aircraft encountered soft sand during beach landing. Nose gear sank into sand and prop contacted ground. No injuries

Date 3 January
Aircraft Cessna 501 Citation
Location Moorabbin Airport, Vic
Fatalities 0
Description Jet landed long and ran off runway in poor visibility caused by bushfire smoke haze.

Date 9 January
Aircraft Fokker 100
Location Newman Airport , WA
Fatalities 0
Description Aircraft on scheduled service had runway excursion on landing. No Injuries.

Date 9 January
Aircraft Bell (Garlick) UH-1 Iriquois
Location Ben Boyd reservoir, NSW
Fatalities 0
Description Helicopter ditched during bushfire fighting operations. Pilot escaped inverted cockpit underwater with minor injuries.

Date 14 January
Aircraft Beechcraft B58 Baron
Location Maitland Airport, NSW
Fatalities 0
Description Aircraft struck a kangaroo during landing.

Date 18 January
Aircraft Cirrus SR22 G6
Location Gunderman, NSW
Fatalities 0
Description Aircraft overran strip on landing and entered Hawkesbury river. Substantial damage but no injury to sole occupant pilot.

Date 22 January
Aircraft Cessna 182
Location Sea near Moreton Island, Qld
Fatalities 2
Description Aircraft crashed under unknown circumstances on sightseeing flight. Pilot issued a mayday call. Wreckage but no bodies found in water.

Date 23 January
Aircraft Foxcon Terrier 100
Location Chinchilla, Qld
Fatalities 0
Description Aircraft was unable to be throttled back during ground engine run. Pilot took evasive action to avoid fuel truck and aircraft struck fence, damaging the wings.

Date 23 January
Aircraft Lockheed EC-130Q Hercules
Location Near Cooma, NSW
Fatalities 3
Description Firefighting aircraft struck terrain after low level (200 ft AGL) retardant drop.

Date 29 January
Aircraft Cessna 206
Location Sea near Fraser Island, Qld
Fatalities 0
Description Aircraft ditched on training flight. Instructor told ABC News aircraft had lost rudder control.

Date 15 February
Aircraft Ekolot KR-030 Topaz
Location Riddell Airfield, Vic
Fatalities 0
Description Light sport aircraft had propeller strike after bounced landing. Student on supervised solo reported to have added power at wrong phase of recovery from first bounce.

Date 19 February
Aircraft Piper PA-44-180 Seminole/ Beechcraft D95 Travel Air
Location Near Mangalore Airport, Vic
Fatalities 2+2
Description Beech on training flight from Tyabb and Piper on training flight from Mangalore collided near airport at 4100 ft. Instructors and students on both aircraft killed in resulting crashes. ATSB investigating.

Date 1 March
Aircraft Jabiru LSA
Location Welby, NSW
Fatalities 0
Description Aircraft experienced fuel starvation/exhaustion and landed in paddock. Aircraft damaged.

Date 11 March
Aircraft Cessna 404 Titan
Location 7 km southeast of Lockhart River Airport, Qld
Fatalities 5
Description Aircraft struck beach terrain on second approach to airport. ATSB investigating.

Date 16 March
Aircraft Cessna 182T Skylane
Location Warrnambool Airport, Vic
Fatalities 0
Description Aircraft overran runway on landing, and was damaged when it hit a ditch. Pilot unhurt.

Date 21 March
Aircraft Piper PA-32R-300 Cherokee Lance
Location Roma Airport, Qld
Fatalities 0
Description Aircraft with five people on board made wheels-up landing.

Sources: Aviation Safety Network, ATSB, RA-Aus