An ATSB investigation report published today concluded that a Cessna 150 involved in a fatal crash at Bacchus Marsh, Vic, last year stalled on take-off.
VH-EYU was departing Bacchus Marsh in October 2024 on a VFR flight to Lethbridge near Geelong when it crashed after reaching only 150 feet on climb-out in hot and windy conditions. The sole occupant died in the impact.
ATSB investigators concluded the aircraft was probably too slow on take‑off for the weather conditions, and that control inputs made to counter the crosswind increased the angle of attack of the left wing.
“These factors, combined with the wind conditions, increased the risk of a quick and unrecoverable stall,” ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell said. “The stall occurred too close to the ground for the aircraft to be recovered from.”
The accident flight was the pilot's second attempt to take-off from Bacchus Marsh's runway 27 into a wind that could have been gusting up to 30 kt and varying in direction between 262o and 335o. Witnesses described the aircraft becoming airborne and climbing to about 150 feel AGL before pitching nose-up, then sharply nose down and the left wing dropping.
It rotated through about 270 degrees before impacting the ground, characteristics of a stall and incipient spin.
Investigators determined the pilot rotated the Cessna at about 50 kt with a crosswind of 15 kt. The book stall speed for the C150 is 48 kt.
“When gusting conditions are present, pilots should consider waiting for more benign conditions,” Mitchell said. “Guidance advises pilots to conduct their own testing in progressively higher winds to determine both their own capability and that of the aircraft.
“If pilots judge weather to be suitable, they should consider climbing out at a higher airspeed to provide a buffer above their aircraft’s stall speed for detection and correction of an impending stall.”
The full investigation report is on the ATSB website.