ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 722
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| Date: | Wednesday 10 March 1999 |
| Time: | 12:15 LT |
| Type: |  Pitts S-2A |
| Owner/operator: | Australian Aerial Surveys PTY Ltd |
| Registration: | VH-PTD |
| MSN: | 2022 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Other fatalities: | 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Hoxton Park, Aero., NSW -
 Australia
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Bankstown, NSW |
| Bankstown, NSW | |
| Investigating agency: | ATSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
The pilot of a Beechcraft Sundowner was preparing to depart Hoxton Park Aerodrome for his first solo navigation training exercise. The pilot of a Pitts Special S-2A had flown his aircraft from Bankstown to the training area and then to Hoxton Park to conduct practice circuits before returning to Bankstown.
The Pitts pilot reported broadcasting details of his entry to the Hoxton Park common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF) area when he was 5 NM from Hoxton Park, and when he entered the circuit area on the crosswind leg for runway 34. He also reported that, in order to maintain separation from a preceding aircraft in the circuit, he had reduced speed and followed that aircraft.
Meanwhile, the Sundowner pilot had completed his pre-departure checks in the runup bay. He then taxied his aircraft onto runway 34 and commenced the take-off run. At that time, the Pitts was on final approach. The Pitts pilot reported that during the final approach he had repeatedly lowered the nose of the aircraft for short periods in order to provide a view of the flight path to the runway threshold before committing himself to a landing. The last time he had performed the manoeuvre was about 400 m from the threshold.
As the Sundowner was accelerating along the runway, the Pitts landed on top of it about 80 m from the threshold. Both aircraft became entangled and travelled approximately 100 m along the runway before slewing to the right then turning sharply left and coming to rest on the runway. The propeller of the Pitts deeply penetrated the Sundowner cabin and killed the pilot.
Another pilot operating in the circuit heard the Sundowner pilot make a pre-taxiing radio broadcast on the CTAF. The investigation could not establish if the Sundowner pilot made any further broadcasts before the collision. The Pitts pilot later stated that he did not remember hearing any radio transmissions from other aircraft. Further, he reported that he had no idea that he had collided with another aircraft until he vacated the cockpit.
Shortly before the accident, three other aircraft were operating in the circuit area. Their crews later reported hearing each other's radio traffic on the CTAF, but not hearing any radio transmissions from the Pitts.
Sources:
http://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/1999/aair/aair199900970.aspx
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 21-Jan-2008 10:00 | ASN archive | Added |
| 12-Apr-2012 15:11 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Narrative] |
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