ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 347569
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| Date: | Saturday 4 November 2023 |
| Time: | c. 14:30 LT |
| Type: |  Gulfstream 695A Jetprop Commander 1000 |
| Owner/operator: | Agair Logistics Pty Ltd |
| Registration: | VH-HPY |
| MSN: | 96051 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1982 |
| Engine model: | Garrett Turbineo TPE331-10-511K |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | 70 km SE of Cloncurry, QLD -
 Australia
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Fire fighting |
| Departure airport: | Toowoomba Airport, QLD (TWB/YTWB) |
| Mount Isa Airport, QLD (ISA/YBMA) | |
| Investigating agency: | ATSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities |
A Gulfstream 695A Jetprop Commander 1000, operated by Agair Logistics, callsign "Birddog 370", crashed about 70km southeast of Cloncurry, Queensland.
The three occupants perished and the aircraft was destroyed.
According to preliminary information, the purpose of the flight was for mapping areas of recent bushfire activity in western Queensland and gathering vital terrain data for use during future bushfires. While the survey area was not subject to a bushfire at the time, the flight was part of ongoing fire response in Queensland.
Preliminary information shows there were communication difficulties while the aircraft was in cruise flight at FL280. After a requested and read back frequency change two-way communications with the flight were lost for about an hour.
When contact was re-established, radio recordings during this period indicate that the pilot’s rate and volume of speech had substantially lowered from earlier communications and was worsening.
At 14:19 the controller requested the pilot change frequency to 122.4 MHz, but no response was received. Between 14:20 and 14:27 the controller attempted to contact the pilot 8 times without receiving a response.
ADS-B data indicated that at 14:20:50 the aircraft’s groundspeed began to reduce from a cruise groundspeed of about 225 kt (417 km/h), while heading and altitude remained steady. At 14:25:25, the groundspeed had decreased to about 104 kt (193 km/h) and the aircraft departed controlled flight. The aircraft initially entered a descending anticlockwise turn with an increasing rate of descent. At an altitude of about 10,000 ft, the aircraft transitioned into a tight clockwise helical descent, likely an aerodynamic spin, with a subsequent average rate of descent of about 13,500 ft/m.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
https://7news.com.au/news/qld/emergency-response-as-light-plane-crashes-in-mckinlay-near-mount-isa-unsurvivable-c-12438714.amp
https://amp.abc.net.au/article/103065708
https://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/news/breaking-news/queensland-police-assist-in-search-for-missing-light-plane-at-mckinlay/news-story/c8de8f716878d377dc4cec839704f828
https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/emergency-services/firefighting-plane-believed-to-have-crashed-near-mckinlay/news-story/1e955a4f166150d7f2ed8d0f1c359ff9?amp
https://amp.abc.net.au/article/103065708
https://www.casa.gov.au/search-centre/aircraft-register?search_api_fulltext=HPY&field_tx_aircraft_manufacturer=&field_tx_aircraft_model=695A
https://www.flightaware.com/live/flight/BDOG370/history/20231104/0045Z/YTWB/YBMA
https://cdn.jetphotos.com/full/5/83161_1613708204.jpg (photo)
History of this aircraft
Ex ZS-KZY, N9971S
Location
Media:
Check out the vertical speed & last altitude seems like breakup in mid-air.? the birddogs have been "work horses" during the fires here. pic.twitter.com/t6HnigUSQw
— cliff higson (@cliff_higson) November 4, 2023
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 04-Nov-2023 09:50 | hmmptwizzle | Added |
| 04-Nov-2023 09:51 | harro | Updated |
| 04-Nov-2023 10:12 | Aerossurance | Updated |
| 04-Nov-2023 10:26 | RobertMB | Updated |
| 04-Nov-2023 10:54 | Captain Adam | Updated |
| 04-Nov-2023 18:16 | aaronwk | Updated |
| 04-Nov-2023 18:45 | Anon. | Updated |
| 11-Nov-2023 08:10 | Ron Averes | Updated [Nature, Narrative] |
| 07-Feb-2024 10:27 | ASN | Updated [Narrative, Accident report] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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