ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 214019
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| Date: | Friday 12 May 1978 |
| Time: | 13:57 |
| Type: |  Cessna 172N Skyhawk II |
| Owner/operator: | |
| Registration: | VH-CGL |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | 11km SSW of Port Augusta, SA -
 Australia
|
| Phase: | Unknown |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | YPWR |
| YPAG | |
| Investigating agency: | BASI |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot telephoned the Parafield Briefing Office at 1153 hours and obtained the meteorological forecasts relevant to a flight from Woomera to Parafield. The forecasts indicated that, in the area covering the Woomera to Port Augusta sector, there would be scattered to broken stratus, strato-cumulus and cumulus cloud and visibility would be generally 40km, deteriorating to 10km in rain showers and 4000 metres in drizzle. The forecast for the area south of Port Augusta was similar.
At 1210 hours the pilot again telephoned the Parafield Briefing Office and gave details of his flight plan, indicating that a landing would be made at Port Pirie where the aircraft would be refuelled. He did not hold an instrument rating and was therefore restricted to flight in accordance with the Visual Flight Rules (VFR). He was advised that Parafield was closed to VFR operations at that time and that 30 minutes holding fuel was required for future arrivals because of low cloud and reduced visibility. The pilot indicated that he would check the Parafield weather situation again when he departed Port Pirie.
The aircraft departed Woomera at 1255 hours and, some 6 minutes later, the pilot established a satisfactory radio communication on the frequency 6610 KHz with Adelaide Flight Service Unit (FSU). At 1313 hours he reported position at Pernatty West. At 1344 hours he made a general broadcast indicating that he was 5 miles north-west of Port Augusta and, at 1346 hours, reported his position as Port Augusta, cruising below 5000 feet, and estimating arrival at Port Pirie at 1418 hours. On request, he then established communication with Adelaide FSU on the appropriate very high radio frequency (VHF).
At about this time at the Port Augusta aerodrome there was overcast strato cumulus cloud, base approximately 2000 feet, and to the south there was a line of drizzle and associated stratus cloud lying east/west and moving north. The hills to the south of the aerodrome were covered in mist and stratus cloud. Similar weather conditions were observed by two persons fishing from a boat situated at the head of Spencer Gulf, some 10km south of Port Augusta. The fishermen heard a single-engined aircraft approach from the north and intermittently observed it through breaks in the low overcast. It made several turns in their vicinity and then headed towards the hills to the west. The engine noise then increased and they finally observed what appeared to be the wing of an aircraft bounce into the air from the ground. The engine noise stopped suddenly at that time.
At 1357 hours the call sign of the aircraft "Charlie Golf Lima" was heard on the Adelaide FSU VHF frequency and the voice was shrill and urgent. Calls to the aircraft did not produce any response and search and rescue alerting action was initiated. The wreckage of VH-CGL was located by a searching aircraft at 1550 hours.
Detailed examination of the wreckage did not reveal evidence of any defect or malfunction which might have contributed to the accident. The damage to the aircraft, together with ground impact marks, indicated that the aircraft struck the ground at high speed in a steep nose-down, right wing-down attitude.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/1978/aair/197804044/
https://www.atsb.gov.au/media/5226350/197804044.pdf
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 04-Aug-2018 03:22 | Pineapple | Added |
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