Date:	Saturday 5 February 2011
Time:	c. 21:45
Type:	Cessna 310R
Owner/operator:	Barrier Air
Registration:	VH-XGX
MSN:	310R0058
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Category:	Accident
Location:	About 1km from Nguiu Airstrip -   Australia
Phase:	Initial climb
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Bathurst Island, NT
Destination airport:	Darwin Airport, NT (DRW/YPDN)
Investigating agency:	ATSB
Confidence Rating:	Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities

Narrative:
On 5 February 2011, the pilot of a Cessna Aircraft Company 310R aircraft, registered VH-XGX, was conducting a return flight to Darwin, Northern Territory, following a charter flight to Bathurst Island. The pilot departed from Bathurst Island Aerodrome at approximately 21:40 and the aircraft collided with terrain shortly thereafter - approximately 1 km from the upwind end of the departure runway. The pilot, the sole occupant of the aircraft, sustained fatal injuries and the aircraft was destroyed by the impact forces and a post-impact fire.

The ATSB did not identify any technical deficiencies within the aircraft that may have contributed to the impact with terrain. The location of the wreckage, together with the dark night conditions and the relatively light load of the aircraft suggested that it was likely that the pilot was influenced by the effects of somatogravic illusion following takeoff. The somatogravic illusion is a powerful human physiological illusion that produces an upward-pitching sensation under conditions of acceleration accompanied by limited visual or other references.

http://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/2011/aair/ao-2011-017.aspx
http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2011/02/06/210845_ntnews.html
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/footy-trip-plane-crashes-one-killed/story-e6frf7l6-1226001000374

http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2011/03/30/221261_ntnews.html

Other occurrences involving this aircraft

6 October 1996	VH-TDS		0	45km E of Mildura, NSW		sub
8 December 1998	VH-TDS		0	Maitland Airport (YMND), Rutherford, NSW		sub

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
06-Feb-2011 05:39	gerard57	Added
06-Feb-2011 14:02	harro	Updated [Operator, Source]
07-Feb-2011 14:23	harro	Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source]
30-Mar-2011 03:51	RobertMB	Updated [Time, Operator, Source, Embed code, Narrative]
14-Jun-2012 00:44	harro	Updated [Time, Source, Narrative]