ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 755
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| Date: | Tuesday 31 July 2007 |
| Time: | 20:00 |
| Type: |  Aero Commander 500S Shrike Commander |
| Owner/operator: | |
| Registration: | VH-YJB |
| MSN: | 3299 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1969 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | 37 km NNE Melbourne, VIC -
 Australia
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | YMEN (Essendon, VIC) |
| YSHT (Shepparton, VIC) | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
On 31 July 2007, a Rockwell Commander 500S, with a pilot and passenger on board, was making a night, instrument flight rules, business flight from Essendon Airport, Vic. to Shepparton. While cruising at 7,000 ft and approximately 25 NM (46 km) north-north-east of Essendon, the aircraft disappeared from radar. Attempts by the controller to contact the pilot were unsuccessful. Later that night the aircraft wreckage was found in timbered ranges near the last radar position. There were no survivors.
Wreckage was distributed over a considerable area and the outer wing sections and the tail had separated in flight. Subsequent wreckage reconstruction and examination of the fracture surfaces found no evidence of contributory fatigue cracking, pre-existing defects or structural corrosion.
3.1 Contributing safety factors
• The aircraft was flown in an area of likely severe turbulence at speeds probably greater than its manoeuvring speed, thereby increasing the risk of structural overstress.
• The aircraft structure failed in flight as a result of overstress in negative loading, probably produced by an abrupt and severe gust associated with a rotor or breaking wave turbulence, an elevator control input by the pilot, or a combination of both.
3.2 Other safety factors
• The aircraft manufacturer’s documentation did not provide information orguidance to pilots for flight in turbulent conditions, increasing the risk of an inadequate pilot response to an encounter with severe turbulence. [Safety issue]
• There was a degree of urgency for the flight that might have influenced the pilot’s decision-making and actions during flight through an area of severe turbulence.
3.3 Other key findings
• The aircraft was maintained in accordance with the manufacturer's procedures and with the relevant regulatory requirements, and there was no evidence of any pre-existing defect, such as undetected metal fatigue or corrosion, or component failure.
• The pilot was appropriately qualified and rated to perform the flight and there was no evidence of any physiological condition that may have affected the pilot's performance.
• The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) issued appropriate warnings relating to severe turbulence and mountain wave activity in the area of the accident.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
1. ATSB Occurrence Nr. 200704734 - AO-2007-029: In-flight break-up; Clonbinane, Vic; 31 July 2007; VH-YJB, Rockwell, Commander 500S
2. Two dead in Melbourne plane crash
3. Australian Transport Safety Board Prliminary Investigation PDF file with photos
4. https://www.atsb.gov.au/media/1358097/ao2007029.pdf
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 21-Jan-2008 10:00 | ASN archive | Added |
| 25-Jan-2008 22:11 | Andrew Whitton | Updated |
| 27-Aug-2008 03:09 | Topaz | Updated |
| 01-Aug-2020 15:46 | KagurazakaHanayo | Updated [Phase, Nature, Source, Narrative] |
| 01-Aug-2020 15:49 | harro | Updated [Source, Accident report, ] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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