ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 67840
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| Date: | Monday 8 June 1970 |
| Time: | 17:33 |
| Type: |  Cessna 185A |
| Owner/operator: | S.F. Melville |
| Registration: | VH-AGG |
| MSN: | 185-0507 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | 39 nm NNW of Wittenoom, WA -
 Australia
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Port Hedland, WA |
| Wittenoom, WA | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
VH-AGG was one of three 185As acquired by Agricultural & General Aviation and was allocated the registration VH-RKT by Rex Aviation when they imported it. This was immediately changed to VH-AGG (Adastra having long relinquished the VH-AG series) before the Skywagon was ferried to Western Australia in December 1962. After retirement from agricultural work in January 1970, it was returned to 4-seater configuration and sold to a private owner in Western Australia, who operated it until it met with an accident on 8 June 1970, as follows:
The pilot submitted a flight plan for a NOSAR flight to Paraburdoo indicating a time interval of 75 minutes and an ETD of 1630 hours WST. The time of last light at Paraburdoo was 1800 hours WST.
The aircraft did not depart until 1711 hours and at 1733 hours, in a response to a query from Port Hedland flight service unit reminding the pilot of last light considerations, the pilot advised that he would divert to Wittenoom. Subsequent calculations indicate that it would not have been possible for the aircraft to have arrived at Wittenoom before last light. Effective VHF radio communications with the aircraft were then lost and the pilot has stated that his HF radio transmitter did not operate.
The pilot became unsure of his position and in the failing light he decided to make a precautionary landing on a flat area covered in what appeared to be low bushes but which were, in fact, rocks. The aircraft landed 39 nautical miles North-North-West of Wittenoom, Western Australia (at approximate co-ordinates 21°40' S, 118° 02' E )
After touching down the aircraft struck rocks and subsequently overturned. Following an air search the aircraft was located at 08:10 hours on 10th June, 1970 and the occupants were then rescued.
ATSB Conclusions: The cargo stowed in the aircraft cabin was not restrained in any way to prevent it moving under the maximum accelerations to be expected in flight or in any emergency. The aircraft took off for the purpose of making a flight under the Visual Flight Rules when such flight would not be completed before night after making allowance specified by the Director-General in Aeronautical Information. The cause of the accident was that the pilot failed to plan and conduct the flight to ensure that the landing could be effected in daylight
The damaged fuselage later appeared in various hangars at Jandakot, Perth and was on the airport fire practice ground by late 1972.
Sources:
1. http://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/1970/aair/aair197005097.aspx
2. http://www.edcoatescollection.com/ac1/austa/VH-AGG(2).html
3. VH-AGG crop spraying in 1965: [LINK NOT WORKING ANYMORE:https://flic.kr/p/a63xmr]
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 10-Aug-2009 06:54 | zerocinquanta | Added |
| 03-Apr-2014 18:35 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Date, Aircraft type, Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Narrative] |
| 03-Apr-2014 18:46 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Cn, Source, Narrative] |
| 03-Apr-2014 18:48 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
| 01-Dec-2016 17:12 | TB | Updated [Location] |
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