ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 181060
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| Date: | Friday 6 November 2015 |
| Time: | 18:29 LT |
| Type: |  Cessna 310R |
| Owner/operator: | Mangan Developments Pty Ltd |
| Registration: | VH-BWZ |
| MSN: | 310R1611 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | near Mildura Airport (YMIA), Mildura, VC -
 Australia
|
| Phase: | Approach |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Moorabbin Airport, VIC (MBW/YMMB) |
| Mildura Airport, VIC (MQL/YMIA) | |
| Investigating agency: | ATSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
On 6 November 2015, at about 1829 Eastern Daylight Saving Time, the pilot of a Cessna Aircraft Company 310R registered VH‑BWZ, on a private flight from Moorabbin to Mildura, Victoria lost control of the aircraft near Mildura Airport and collided with terrain. The pilot was fatally injured and the aircraft destroyed.
Witnesses reported that when on final approach to land at Mildura, at low altitude, the aircraft yawed to the left, dropped its left wing and rapidly lost altitude. A number of factors contributed to the loss of control. The aircraft’s left engine was found to have been starved of fuel and at the time of the accident was not producing power. The left propeller was found to be towards fine pitch, not feathered (rotation of propeller blades to an edge-on angle to the airflow to minimise aircraft drag following an in-flight engine failure or shutdown), and the flaps and landing gear were fully extended, consistent with a normal landing configuration. In that configuration with the engine not producing power, the aircraft’s performance would have degraded to the extent that altitude could not be maintained.
The ATSB was unable to ascertain why the left engine was starved of fuel, nor could it be determined when the engine was starved of fuel. The ATSB did establish that it was likely the aircraft was carrying a substantial amount of fuel on board for continued flight and that the left engine and left propeller were capable of normal operation.
Several components recovered from the aircraft were tested. Some abnormalities were identified, however, it was unlikely that these contributed to the accident. No mechanical defects were identified that may have contributed to the accident. However, examination of the aircraft was limited due to the extent of the damage resulting from the post-impact fire.
It was likely that the combination of the inoperative left engine with the propeller in the fine pitch and the right engine at high power resulted in asymmetric thrust. Whilst at low altitude in a landing configuration with asymmetric thrust, the pilot lost control of the aircraft.
Probable Cause: For undetermined reasons the left engine was starved of fuel, which resulted in a loss of power during flight.
The left engine’s loss of power while the aircraft was in a landing configuration resulted in the pilot being unable to maintain aircraft control and the aircraft subsequently collided with terrain.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
ATSB final report: http://www.atsb.gov.au/media/5773611/ao-2015-129_final.pdf
http://www.sunraysiadaily.com.au/story/3475599/man-dies-in-plane-crash/?cs=1511
http://www.milduraindependent.com/index.php/news/1749-sunraysia-property-developer-killed-in-light-plane-crash-at-mildura
https://www.9news.com.au/national/2015/11/06/18/54/light-plane-crashes-near-mildura
https://www.jetphotos.com/showphotos.php?regsearch=VH-BWZ
Images:
Photo(c): ATSB
Media:
Investigation: Collision with terrain involving Cessna 310, VH-BWZ, near Mildura, Victoria on 6 Nov 2015. Report: https://t.co/szVihAHlPW pic.twitter.com/o37pKeptuQ
— ATSB (@atsbinfo) 30 octobre 2017
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 06-Nov-2015 16:11 | Geno | Added |
| 06-Nov-2015 16:12 | Geno | Updated [Aircraft type, Location] |
| 30-Oct-2017 05:53 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Time, Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
| 07-Mar-2022 01:30 | Captain Adam | Updated [Location, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative, Photo] |
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