Accident Piper PA-30 VH-PFC,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 208535
 
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Date:Sunday 25 December 1994
Time:18:05
Type:Silhouette image of generic PA30 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Piper PA-30
Owner/operator:
Registration: VH-PFC
MSN: 30-725
Fatalities:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants:
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Category:Accident
Location:Emu Park, QLD -   Australia
Phase: Landing
Nature:Private
Departure airport:YBRK
Destination airport:Great Keppel Island, QLD
Investigating agency: BASI
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
Earlier in the day, the pilot had flown his aircraft from Great Keppel Island to Rockhampton to hand-feed his cattle. While he was completing the task storms moved into the area and rain began to fall. By the time the pilot returned to the airport the conditions were unsuitable for visual flight. He waited at the control tower for about an hour until the storms to the east of the airport cleared. He then departed and tracked via the Fitzroy River with the intention of proceeding up the the coast to the island. En route, a weather report was obtained from the island that indicated that the weather there was clear. When the aircraft was in the Emu Park area the pilot reported that he was unable to see either the island or Yeppoon and as the weather was deteriorating, and the cloud ceiling was about 400 ft, he decided to land at Emu Park. He joined the circuit area but on the downwind leg he was unable to sight the strip markers. The pilot continued the approach and as the aircraft turned onto the base leg it entered rain. On final the pilot had difficulty seeing through the rain covered windscreen but he stated that he was able to make out the length of the strip. When the aircraft passed over the threshold of the cleared area the pilot closed the throttle and the aircraft landed. He then realised that the aircraft had landed about 10 metres to the right of the airstrip. Shortly after touchdown the aircraft ran through a depression in the ground and the landing gear and left wing and engine were torn off. The right wing was bent as the aircraft spun around before coming to rest. The cabin area remained intact and the pilot was able to evacuate the aircraft uninjured. The pilot stated after the accident that he had considered going around during the approach but believed that weather conditions were such that he may have had difficulty maintaining flight in visual conditions.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: BASI
Report number: 
Status: Investigation completed
Duration:
Download report: Final report

Sources:

https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/1994/aair/199403904/
https://www.atsb.gov.au/media/4934433/199403904.pdf

History of this aircraft

Other occurrences involving this aircraft
16 October 1988 VH-PFC 0 0.5km S of Bogan Gate, NSW sub

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
01-Apr-2018 09:09 Pineapple Added

Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description

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