RFD Winged Target – Aviation Historical Society of Australia

DerekB06/03/202303/06/2023

Aviation Heritage Vol. 54 No. 1 (March 2023) Contents Listing

The latest quarterly edition (March 2023) of the AHSA journal – Aviation Heritage – has recently been posted to members. The full contents are...

1990 Beechcraft E90 King Air VH-LFH crashed at Wondai, QLD on 26 July 1990. The aircraft impacted trees and crashed after taking off from Wondai Airport and was destroyed by impact forces and a post-impact fire. Five of the six occupants were killed in the accident. Sources: ATSB, aviation-safety.net website

1998 Cessna A185E VH-HTS operated by South Pacific Seaplanes crashed at Berowra Waters, Calabash Bay, NSW on 26 July 1998. At about 13:24 EST, the aircraft crashed onto a ridge forming the southern shore of Calabash Bay NSW. The accident occurred during a go-around manoeuvre following an unsuccessful landing approach to the Berowra water alighting area. At the time of the accident the Calabash Bay area was affected by strong winds, widespread rain and showers, low cloud, and reduced visibility. The aircraft was undertaking a charter flight from Palm Beach to Berowra. All five occupants, including the pilot, suffered fatal injuries. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces. The investigation found that the circumstances of the accident were consistent with uncontrolled flight into terrain. The decision by the pilot to carry out a go-around into a confined area surrounded by steep-sided terrain was the culminating factor in a combination of local factors, organisational deficiencies and inadequate safety defences. Local factors included poor weather conditions, a lack of formal procedures to provide safe methods of operation, and commercial pressures. Organisational deficiencies were identified within South Pacific Seaplanes concerning the management and conduct of charter operations carried out by that company, and in the safety regulation of those operations by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority. Sources: ATSB; aviation-safety.net website