ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 192696
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| Date: | Tuesday 10 January 2017 |
| Time: | 10:42 |
| Type: |  Cessna 172M Skyhawk |
| Owner/operator: | 1770 Castaway |
| Registration: | VH-WTQ |
| MSN: | 17261931 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 4 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Agnes Water beach, QLD -
 Australia
|
| Phase: | Approach |
| Nature: | Passenger - Non-Scheduled/charter/Air Taxi |
| Departure airport: | Agnes Water aeroplane landing area, QLD |
| Middle Island beach aeroplane landing area, QLD | |
| Investigating agency: | ATSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The Cessna 172M, registered VH‑WTQ, departed Agnes Water aeroplane landing area (ALA), Queensland on a passenger charter flight to a beach ALA on Middle Island. There was a pilot and three passengers on board.
At about 10:38, the pilot was conducting an airborne inspection of the Middle Island beach area to ensure that it was suitable for a landing. During the inspection, when the aircraft was at about 60 ft above mean sea level (AMSL), the aircraft’s engine had a sudden and total power loss.
After conducting initial checks, the pilot elected to conduct a significant left turn to the beach. During the continued turn, the aircraft impacted the beach with little or no control and a significant descent rate. One of the rear-seat passengers was fatally injured and the other three occupants sustained serious injuries. The aircraft was destroyed.
Contributing factors:
- While the pilot was conducting an airborne inspection of the beach aeroplane landing area (ALA) at an altitude of about 60 ft, the aircraft’s engine had a sudden and total power loss.
- Under significant time pressure, the pilot elected to conduct a significant left turn to the beach at a very low height. Although he believed it to be the safest option under the circumstances, it was inconsistent with standard training and guidance to land within 30º either side of straight ahead following an engine failure at a low height.
- During the continued left turn toward the beach, the aircraft did not have sufficient performance to avoid a collision with terrain, and it impacted terrain with little or no control and a significant descent rate.
- The operator normally conducted airborne inspections of the Middle Island aeroplane landing area at about 50–100 ft while flying at normal cruise speed towards an area of water, and its procedures did not ensure the effective management of the risk of an engine failure or power loss when at a low height. [Safety issue]
- The aircraft was not fitted with upper torso restraints for the rear passenger seats, which very likely increased the severity of the injuries sustained by the two rear-seat passengers.
- Upper torso restraints (UTRs) were not required for all passenger seats for small aeroplanes manufactured before December 1986 and helicopters manufactured before September 1992, including for passenger transport operations. Although options for retrofitting UTRs are available for many models of small aircraft, many of these aircraft manufactured before the applicable dates that are being used for passenger transport have not yet been retrofitted. [Safety issue]
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
http://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/2017/aair/ao-2017-005/
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/reports-four-in-plane-crash-in-central-queensland-20170110-gtopws.html
https://www.themorningbulletin.com.au/news/breaking-plane-crashes-beach-near-agnes-water/3130224/
https://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/news/breaking-plane-crashes-beach-near-agnes-water/3130224/
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/jan/10/light-plane-crashes-on-beach-near-queensland-town-of-1770
https://www.casa.gov.au/aircraft-register?search_api_views_fulltext=&vh=WTQ&field_ar_serial=
http://www.1770castaway.com.au
Location
Images:
Photo: ATSB
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 10-Jan-2017 05:28 | Geno | Added |
| 10-Jan-2017 05:42 | Geno | Updated [Operator, Source] |
| 10-Jan-2017 09:43 | harro | Updated [Time, Source] |
| 10-Jan-2017 20:36 | Anon. | Updated [Damage] |
| 19-Oct-2019 13:12 | harro | Updated [Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Narrative, Photo, Accident report, ] |
| 19-Oct-2019 13:13 | harro | Updated [Phase, Nature, Destination airport, Photo] |
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