CORRECTION: Please note, the previously published version of this article contained some details that were found to be incorrect. At this stage there is no indication of a mechanical fault and there is no evidence of a mayday call made by the pilot. The incident remains under investigation by the ATSB. The Western Plains App apologises for the error and for any confusion or distress caused.

The Air Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has just released a preliminary report into a fatal aircraft accident that took place in the Western Plains earlier this year.

The tragic event unfolded near Bourke, when an AT-502 crop duster plane engaged in agricultural operations crash-landed in a paddock at around 07:50am on 10 February.

At 06:29am local time, the plane departed a private airstrip on the property it was working on, in a southerly direction with the first load of herbicide.

Another pilot also departed around this time to conduct spraying in a different area of the same property.

The plan was to continue spraying herbicide on fields they had commenced the previous day. At 6:32am recorded data showed that the pilot had commenced spraying a field. The recording ended 12 seconds later. The final point recorded the aircraft's ground speed of about 114 kiloton and travelling in a south-easterly direction. 

At about 07:15am, the other pilot attempted to contact the pilot of AQW on the ultra-high frequency radio, followed by a text message but received no response.

The other pilot became concerned about their colleague so decided to fly around the property to locate AQW.

The aircraft wreckage was found in a cotton field adjacent to the field being sprayed. The incident resulted in the death of the 47-year-old pilot, who was the sole occupant.

Last week the latest report stated that the spraying was expected to be conducted with the aircraft’s wheels about 2-3 m above the ground.

“A site examination found the aircraft had impacted an irrigation levee adjacent to the southernmost field being sprayed,” acting Director Transport Safety Dr Nathalie Boston said. “A ground scar about 27 m long from the aircraft’s left main wheel was found in the paddock just before the levee, and two more wheel marks were found where the main landing gear struck the levee.”

Examination of the wreckage itself indicated the aircraft collided with terrain nose down, then came to rest inverted. 

“All of the aircraft’s major components were present at the accident site, and there was no evidence of an in-flight break-up,” Dr Boston said. “Additionally, there were no pre-impact defects identified with the airframe or flight controls, and examination of the engine and propellor indicated that the aircraft was under power at impact.”

 The pilot held a Commercial Pilot’s License (aeroplane) and a valid Class 1 Aviation Medical Certificate. The pilot also held an aerial application rating, as well as float plane, manual propeller pitch control, tailwheel undercarriage, and gas turbine endorsements. They had 13,135.6 hours of total aeronautical experience, and at least 3,721.2 hours on Air Tractor aircraft variants based on information provided by the operator.

As it progresses the investigation will include review and examination of electronic components recovered from the aircraft, medical and pathological records, operational documentation, and aircraft maintenance records. A final report, which will detail the ATSB’s findings and its analysis of the collected evidence, will be released at the investigation’s conclusion.

The objective of ATSB safety investigations is to enhance transport safety which is done through identifying safety issues and facilitating safety action to address those issues and providing information about occurrences and their associated safety factors to facilitate learning within the transport industry.

It is not a function of the ATSB to apportion blame or provide a means for determining liability.