A Cessna 172 used in mustering operations stalled after pulling out of a dive close to the ground, according to an ATSB investigation report published this week.
VH-SQO was being used to muster cattle near Mulgathing SA in June last year when it impacted the ground. The pilot, the sole occupant, was fatally injured.
According to the ATSB report, witnesses saw the aircraft diving from about 150-200 feet to approximately 50 feet AGL, then pitching up at about 60° to 250–300 feet with no observed change in engine power. The Cessna then banked left and descending to the ground.
Critical witness observations were that the angle of climb was steeper than the angle of descent, and that the exit height was greater than the entry. The on-site examination showed that the aircraft impacted terrain in a 70° nose-down attitude with no forward momentum.
"Witness reports and the position and condition of the wreckage were consistent with the aircraft aerodynamically stalling and entering a left spin at an altitude too low for recovery,” said ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell.
During the investigation, the ATSB discovered that the pilot had been employed as an aerial spotter and as such did not hold a cattle mustering endorsement. Although the job advertisement used the term "mustering", the specification did not call for a mustering endorsement.
The pilot had been seen mustering sheep previously using manoeuvres that the ATSB considered were outside their qualifications.
“This accident demonstrates the importance of pilots staying within the boundaries of their training and qualifications, to ensure an adequate margin of safety,” Mitchell noted.
“It also highlights to pilots the importance of managing airspeed and bank angle to minimise the risk of an aerodynamic stall, particularly close to the ground.”
The full report is on the ATSB website.