A spur-of-the-moment decision to fly low along a river led to a fatal wirestrike accident according to the Australian Transport Safety Board (ATSB).
The accident occured in April 2014, when the pilot of Maule M5 VH-HOG flew low along a section of the Clarence River 50 km south-west of Casino, NSW.
After striking a powerline, the Maule plunged into the river, ending up inverted. Although the pilot and front seat passenger were able to get out of the aircraft, the back seat passenger sustained a fatal neck injury.
"The wirestrike and resulting loss of aircraft control was an unintended consequence of the pilot’s spur of the moment decision to fly at very low level along the river, in an unfamiliar environment and below the minimum stipulated height for flights over unpopulated areas," the ATSB report released today says.
"The pilot reported seeing the powerline cables just before the collision, but with insufficient time to avoid a wirestrike.
"The pilot did not hold an approval to conduct low-flying operations and had not completed any training to identify the hazards associated with such operations."
Pilots require proper training and approval to fly below 500 feet over unpopulated areas under CAR 175.
The full investigation report is available on the ATSB website.