The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has released the final investigation report into the fatal crash of an Airtractor AT-802 near Narromine, NSW, in 2016.
VH-NIA was on crop-spraying missions 33 km west of Narromine on 21 November 2016 when it crashed into the ground. The pilot was fatally injured and the aircraft completely destroyed in a post-crash fire.
The ATSB investigation concluded that the pilot lost control of the aircraft, but was unable to find any reason for that happening.
"At about 0810, witnesses driving along a nearby road observed the aircraft above a tree line in a steep, almost vertical, nose-down attitude," the ATSB report says. "Some witnesses reported the aircraft also having a slow, right to left roll, as it quickly descended."
Investigations failed to find a reason for the loss of control, and the engine had been delivering power at the time of impact. The post-crash fire destroyed much of the aeroplane, so the ATSB couldn't rule out some form of in-flight failure.
During the investigation, the ATSB uncovered several unreported incidents in the six days before the accident flight that involved the crash pilot, including:
- a runway excursion during landing
- a tight 180-degree turn that a pilot witness stated resulted in a stall and recovery
- a downwind take-off at maximum weight that only just missed trees
- damage to spray gear during a spray run when the gear struck the crop.
"A review of the pilot's recent AT-802 flying experience and incidents prior to the accident indicated that the pilot was not as proficient flying the AT-802 as the AT-502," the report notes. "Although both aircraft are similar, the flying characterisitcs of the AT-802 are different [from the AT-502]."
The full investigation report is on the ATSB website.