Date 1 December
Aircraft PZL ‘Warszawa-Okecie’ M-18A
Location Emerald Aerodrome
Injuries Serious
Description During aerial agricultural operations, the aircraft crashed resulting in substantial damage.
Date 5 December
Aircraft Bell Helicopter 206B (II)
Location Murray Field Aerodrome (Goegrup Lake, Mandurah)
Injuries Nil
Description During aerial agricultural operations, conducting a turn, the helicopter encountered a down draught resulting in loss of airspeed and altitude, narrowly avoiding terrain. The pilot subsequently applied full power resulting in a torque exceedance.
Date 5 December
Aircraft Tecnam – C. Aeronautiche P2004 Bravo
Location Cunnamulla Aerodrome
Injuries Nil
Description The aircraft landed hard resulting in the nosewheel separating from the aircraft. The crew subsequently lost directional control of the aircraft, which ground looped resulting in substantial damage.
Date 6 December
Aircraft Cessna 210L and Cessna U206G
Location Darwin Aerodrome
Injuries Nil
Description The Cessna 210 departed Darwin behind the Cessna 206. During climb, passing approximately 6400 ft, the crew of the 210 lost visual contact with the 206. The aircraft subsequently passed each other in close proximity.
Date 10 December
Aircraft Mooney M20K
Location Maitland Aerodrome
Injuries Nil
Description During descent, the pilot inadvertently retarded the throttle and thought that the engine had failed. The pilot used the fuel boost pump to add power during the glide approach.
Date 12 December
Aircraft Skyfox Gazelle
Location Innisfail Aerodrome
Injuries Nil
Description During initial climb, the engine failed resulting in the crew conducting a forced landing in a paddock. During landing, the nosewheel collapsed and the aircraft came to rest in a steep nose-down attitude. The fuel tanks were ruptured and the aircraft was destroyed by the post-impact fire.
Date 15 December
Aircraft Cessna 182Q
Location near Charters Towers Aerodrome
Injuries Nil
Description During landing, the aircraft encountered a gust of wind and the pilot lost directional control. The aircraft’s right wing contacted the ground, veered off the runway and subsequently collided with a tree.
Date 17 December
Aircraft Aeroprakt A22LS Foxbat
Location Bendigo Aerodrome
Injuries Minor
Description During take-off, the aircraft encountered a minor crosswind and the crew lost directional control. The crew subsequently applied back pressure and over-rotated resulting in a tail strike. Due to the high-nose attitude, the aircraft stalled and collided with terrain. The aircraft sustained substantial damage and the crew sustained minor injuries.
Date 21 December
Aircraft Amateur built T-18
Location Tocumwal Aerodrome
Injuries Nil
Description During landing, the aircraft ground looped and the wing tip and propeller struck the ground. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the undercarriage.
Date 21 December
Aircraft Piper Aircraft PA-28-161 and PA-44-180
Location Ballarat Aerodrome
Injuries Nil
Description During circuit operations, mid downwind, the crew of the Piper PA-28 observed a Piper PA-44 on a cross path in close proximity. The crew of the PA-28 manoeuvred to avoid a collision. The crew of the PA-44 did not see the PA-28.
Date 23 December
Aircraft Austflight Drifter A-582
Location Southport Aerodrome
Injuries Nil
Description The aircraft engine failed and the pilot conducted a forced landing on the beach, resulting in minor damage. The engineering inspection revealed a failed connecting rod bearing to be the cause of the failure.
Date 24 December
Aircraft Jabiru J400
Location Tamworth Aerodrome
Injuries Nil
Description The crew encountered poor weather and conducted a precautionary landing in a paddock. During landing, the crew lost directional control and the aircraft collided with fences resulting in substantial damage.
Date 24 December
Aircraft Robinson R44
Location near Delamere Station
Injuries Nil
Description During take-off, the pilot overpitched the helicopter, lost rotor speed and collided with terrain resulting in substantial damage.
Date 25 December
Aircraft Amateur built CH-7
Location Archerfield Aerodrome
Injuries Nil
Description During approach, the engine failed and the helicopter crashed into water.
Date 27 December
Aircraft Piper PA-30
Location Murray Field Aerodrome
Injuries Nil
Description During a touch-and-go landing, as the power was increased, the aircraft yawed from side to side and the crew rejected the take-off. The crew lost directional control and the aircraft over ran the runway into the sand resulting in substantial damage.
Date 28 December
Aircraft Beech 58
Location Port Hedland Aerodrome
Injuries Nil
Description During approach, as the crew selected the gear down, a loud bang was heard followed by an unsafe landing gear indication resulting in the crew returning the aircraft to Port Hedland. A fly by was conducted and the crew were advised the nose landing gear was not locked. During landing, the nosewheel collapsed resulting in substantial damage to the aircraft. The engineering report revealed a snapped torque link bolt to be the cause.
Date 31 December
Aircraft de Havilland Canada seaplane
Location near Cottage Point, Sydney
Injuries Fatal
Description During initial climb, the aircraft crashed into water and subsequently sank. The pilot and five passengers were killed.
Date 4 January
Aircraft Robinson R22 BETA
Location Tindal Aerodrome
Injuries Nil
Description During take-off, the helicopter nosed over and crashed, resulting in substantial damage. Post flight it was determined that a fence wire lying on the ground had become entangled in the skid.
Date 5 January
Aircraft Cessna 172M
Location Kalgoorlie-Boulder Aerodrome
Injuries Nil
Description During cruise, the engine failed due to lack of fuel. The crew conducted a forced landing in scrub resulting in minor damage. The investigation is continuing.
Date 7 January
Aircraft ELA-07/08
Location near Kununurra Aerodrome
Injuries Minor
Description During cruise, the pilot heard a loud noise and felt the gyrocopter vibrate resulting in the pilot shutting down the throttle and conducting a forced landing. During the autorotation, the rotor struck a tree causing the gyrocopter to roll. The post-flight inspection revealed a foreign object, possibly a dislodged exhaust spring, struck a propeller blade during flight causing a blade to break.
Date 7 January
Aircraft Fairchild SA227-DC
Location near Ballina/Byron Gateway Aerodrome
Injuries Nil
Description During approach, the crew received a fire warning for the no. 2 engine which subsequently stopped. The engineering inspection revealed a fuel manifold to the top left fuel nozzle had leaked causing a fire and subsequent fire damage to the engine area.
Date 7 January
Aircraft Cessna A152
Location Jandakot Aerodrome
Injuries Nil
Description During aerobatic manoeuvring, the engine lost power and subsequently failed resulting in the pilot conducting a forced landing on a dry salt lake. Engineers replaced the carburettor.
Date 10 January
Aircraft Team Air-Bike RX-40 Enduro
Location Pacific Haven (ALA)
Injuries Minor
Description During approach, the pilot lost control of the aircraft and it collided with a house. The pilot sustained minor injuries and the aircraft was destroyed.
Date 13 January
Aircraft Balloon
Location Maitland Aerodrome
Injuries Serious
Description During landing, the balloon struck a tree resulting in substantial damage.
Date 14 January
Aircraft Pioneer Flightstar
Location Emerald Aerodrome
Injuries Fatal
Description The aircraft crashed and was substantially damaged. The pilot was killed.
Date 15 January
Aircraft VANS RV-7A
Location Atherton
Injuries Minor
Description During take-off, the aircraft encountered windshear and the pilot lost directional control. As the pilot attempted to land, the left wing banked to the left and struck the ground resulting in the aircraft coming to rest inverted. The aircraft was substantially damaged and the pilot sustained minor injuries.
Date 17 January
Aircraft Robinson R44
Location Ayers Rock Aerodrome
Injuries Serious
Description During climb, the pilot received a low rotor speed warning, entered an autorotation and conducted a forced landing on a sand dune. The helicopter subsequently rolled, resulting in serious injuries to the pilot and one passenger. Two passengers sustained minor injuries.
Date 20 January
Aircraft Cessna 182P
Location Bridport
Injuries Fatal
Description The aircraft collided with terrain. The passenger was fatally injured and the pilot sustained serious injuries. The investigation is continuing.
Date 21 January
Aircraft Motor Glider ASH-25M
Location Bathurst Aerodrome
Injuries Fatal
Description The glider crashed and was destroyed by a post-impact fire and the pilot was killed.
Date 28 January
Aircraft American Champion 7GCBC
Location near Wilton
Injuries Nil
Description During landing, the aircraft encountered a tailwind and collided with a fence resulting in minor damage.
