Date:	Friday 17 September 1993
Time:	19:43
Type:	Piper PA-31-350 Chieftain
Owner/operator:	Hibiscus Aviation Services
Registration:	VH-WGI
MSN:	31-7305075
Year of manufacture:	1973
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 6 / Occupants: 10
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Category:	Accident
Location:	near Launceston Airport, Launceston, TAS -   Australia
Phase:	Approach
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Moorabbin Airport, Victoria (MBW/YMMB)
Destination airport:	Launceston Airport, Launcester, Tasmania (LST/YMLT)
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
At 19:43 hours EST (Eastern Standard Time) on Friday, 17 September 1993, a Piper Chieftain PA-31-350 aircraft, registered VH-WGI, crashed while on a night landing approach to Launceston Airport,Tasmania.

VH-WGI was being operated by one pilot and carried nine passengers. Six passengers received fatal injuries. The pilot and three passengers sustained serious injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged as a result of impact forces and fire.The aircraft was operating a 'cost sharing private flight' from Morabin Airport, Melbourne to Launceston with members of the Glendale Football Club.

The accident occurred while the pilot was making a visual circling approach to land on runway 32 at Launceston. Some low cloud was present and the aircraft passed through patches of cloud on the approach. Late on a left base leg the aircraft entered a steep left bank. Shortly after, at a height of about 200 feet, the aircraft developed a rapid rate of descent.

This descent culminated in collision with the ground. Significant factors in this occurrence included minimal endorsement training and pilot experience on type, inadequate operator supervision, and pilot decision making adversely influenced by the carriage of noisy, alcohol-affected passengers.

Organisational factors included an absence of standards prescribed by the CAA for aircraft type endorsement. The ATSB investigation found indications of significant confusion over the interpretation of AIP DAP instructions on visual circling approaches, particularly at night.

1. ATSB Occurrence Nr. 199302851 at https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/1993/aair/aair199302851.aspx
2. http://www.examiner.com.au/story/1783834/twenty-years-since-six-men-died-in-plane-crash/?src=rss
3. [LINK NOT WORKING ANYMORE:http://www.baaa-acro.com/1993/archives/crash-of-a-piper-pa-31-navajo-chieftain-in-launceston-6-killed/]
4. https://www.pprune.org/pacific-general-aviation-questions/421062-vh-pgw-pa-31p-350-15-june-2010-crash-investigation-4.html#post5813078
5. http://www.ascendworldwide.com/download/Cust/WAAS167_Complete.pdf

Piper PA-31 VH-WGI at Sale, Victoria, on 18 December 1982:

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
21-Jan-2008 10:00	ASN archive	Added
17-Sep-2013 15:03	gerard57	Updated [Time, Phase, Nature, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
30-Apr-2015 00:13	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Cn, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative]
13-Sep-2017 15:11	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Embed code]
13-Sep-2017 15:14	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Narrative]
11-Oct-2017 00:07	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location, Source, Embed code]
07-Jun-2022 12:10	Ron Averes	Updated [Location]