ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 225475
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| Date: | Sunday 26 May 2019 |
| Time: | 15:47 |
| Type: |  Cessna T210M Turbo Centurion II |
| Owner/operator: | Thomson Aviation Pty Ltd |
| Registration: | VH-SUX |
| MSN: | 21061042 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1976 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | 26 km NE of Mount Isa Regional Airport (ISA/YBMA), QLD -
 Australia
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Survey |
| Departure airport: | Mount Isa Airport, QLD (ISA/YBMA) |
| Mount Isa Airport, QLD (ISA/YBMA) | |
| Investigating agency: | ATSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
On the afternoon of 26 May 2019, a Cessna T210M, registered VH-SUX and operated by Thomson Aviation, departed Mount Isa Airport for an aerial geophysical survey flight with a pilot and observer on board.
One hour and 40 minutes later, as the aircraft was flown west along a survey line about 25 km north‑east of Mount Isa Airport, the right wing separated from the aircraft. The structural failure led to a rapid loss of control and a collision with terrain. Both crewmembers were fatally injured, and the aircraft was destroyed.
The ATSB found that a pre-existing fatigue crack in the aircraft’s wing spar carry-through structure propagated to a critical size resulting in an overstress fracture of the structure and separation of the right wing.
Detailed examination of the structure found that relatively minor corrosion near a highly stressed location on the lower surface of the wing spar carry-through progressed into the aluminium alloy structure. This increased stress concentration in this area and led to initiation and growth of a fatigue crack, significantly reducing the strength of the structure.
In 1992, the aircraft manufacturer introduced a recommended continued airworthiness program, including a flight hour‑based repetitive eddy current inspection for cracking of the carry-through structure. This program included more stringent requirements for aircraft being used for low-level survey flights. However, following an assessment of historical data in 2011, the manufacturer replaced this inspection with a three-yearly visual corrosion inspection for all operation types, which was mandatory in Australia. This inspection variation significantly limited the opportunity to identify fatigue cracking within the carry-through structure of low-level survey aircraft prior to failure.
The ATSB also found that the cyclic loads induced by the low-level survey flight profile were significantly greater than those associated with the higher-level flight profile originally intended for the aircraft type. This probably increased the risk of a fatigue related structural failure.
Additionally, while not contributory to this accident and not applicable to the Cessna 210, the ATSB identified that the current guidance to determine fatigue damage for survey aircraft designed in accordance with United States Federal Aviation Regulation Part 23 probably underrepresents the rate of damage accumulated by aircraft intended to be used for low‑level terrain following. This may reduce the airworthiness assurance for survey aircraft designed under Part 23.
Finally, the ATSB determined that the airframe and system modifications incorporated into the aircraft did not significantly increase the fatigue damage accumulated by the wing spar carry-through structure.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
https://mypolice.qld.gov.au/blog/2019/05/26/fatal-aviation-incident-mt-isa/
https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/incidents/fatal-aviation-incident-mount-isa/news-story/5d436ba3a186635270996364c1fd567e
https://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/news/two-mean-dead-after-plane-crash-near-mt-isa/news-story/4a76cf203381366ef6d4755f5b5b6ed7?fbclid=IwAR0pw6-Jka7Dv2bNwnuQA3xJVgTzv0ll2FD3Uc8OfrgqFfzIRKdmWhhM8xQ
https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/2019/aair/ao-2019-026/
https://www.atsb.gov.au/newsroom/news-items/2019/cessna-210-carry-through-spar-failure/
https://uk.flightaware.com/photos/view/3660208-cc92aee822504535c9f87422533899328d37f77d (photo)
Images:
Photo: ATSB
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 26-May-2019 10:36 | Captain Adam | Added |
| 26-May-2019 12:28 | RobertMB | Updated [Aircraft type, Location, Phase, Nature, Source, Damage, Narrative] |
| 26-May-2019 13:30 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Embed code] |
| 26-May-2019 17:47 | TB | Updated [Location, Embed code] |
| 26-May-2019 21:54 | RobertMB | Updated [Location] |
| 27-May-2019 05:06 | RobertMB | Updated [Operator] |
| 27-May-2019 12:41 | Aerossurance | Updated [Nature, Narrative] |
| 27-May-2019 20:50 | Captain Adam | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 29-May-2019 07:41 | Pineapple | Updated [Time, Registration, Cn, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source] |
| 29-May-2019 15:43 | RobertMB | Updated [Aircraft type, Source, Narrative] |
| 07-Jun-2019 09:04 | Aerossurance | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 29-Nov-2021 08:48 | harro | Updated [Photo] |
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