ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 27116
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | Friday 10 August 1979 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  Aero Commander 500S Shrike Commander |
| Owner/operator: | Norfish Pty Ltd |
| Registration: | VH-ALH |
| MSN: | 1810-20 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | near Essendon, Melbourne, VIC -
 Australia
|
| Phase: | Approach |
| Nature: | Cargo |
| Departure airport: | Flinders Island, TAS |
| Essendon, Melbourne (MED/YMEB) | |
| Investigating agency: | BASI |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
Formerly N4930E, this Model 500S Aero Commander was first registered as VH-ALH in January 1969 to Hancock Prospecting Co Pty Ltd. It was sold to Executive Air Services Pty Ltd in June 1973
In 1978 it passed to Norfish Pty Ltd and was written off in a crash near Essendon, Melbourne, Victoria on 10 August 1979. Both persons on board were killed. The cause was suspected to be engine failure caused by a fuel supply problem, possibly fuel exhaustion whilst on final approach.
According to an eyewitness report:
"This late 70s accident to Commander 500S VH-ALH particularly challenged my whole professional piloting ethos at the time and left me with a blood-curdling suspicion of all matters surrounding fuel.
I was number 4 behind the aircraft in the Essendon (Melbourne Downtown Airport) pattern that sunny afternoon and knew the pilot well...it is incredibly difficult to listen to a mate go down in front of you and then fly over the site within minutes.
Jim set the aircraft up to land on a fairway and did a good job in getting it positioned but unfortunately clipped trees and ended up skidding into a large bunker complex which caused the fatal impact that destroyed the aircraft. Had he crashed into houses on the approach, the airport would probably be closed by now.
It was not until several years later that the then Department of Transport Australia released this controversial report in their Aviation Safety Digest."
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
1. http://web.archive.org/web/20170219102347/http://www.baaa-acro.com/1979/archives/crash-of-a-rockwell-aero-commander-500-in-melbourne-australia-2-killed/
2. http://www.edcoatescollection.com/ac1/austa/VH-ALH%282%29.html
3. http://www.matronics.com/archive/archive-get.cgi?Commander-Archive.digest.vol-ah
Images:
Photo: BASI
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 27-Sep-2008 01:00 | ASN archive | Added |
| 08-Apr-2014 20:16 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Cn, Operator, Location, Phase, Nature, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Narrative] |
| 21-Nov-2018 20:19 | harro | Updated [Departure airport, Narrative, Photo, Accident report, ] |
| 07-Jun-2022 21:10 | Ron Averes | Updated [Location] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation