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| Date: | Friday 28 July 2023 |
| Time: | c. 10:30 |
| Type: |  Jabiru J430 |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | VH-EDJ |
| MSN: | 827 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2019 |
| Engine model: | Jabiru Aircraft Pty Ltd GEN 4 3300 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Caboolture Airfield, QLD (YCAB) -
 Australia
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Caboolture Airfield, QLD (YCAB) |
| Caboolture Airfield, QLD (YCAB) | |
| Investigating agency: | ATSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
A Jabiru J430, VH-EDJ, and a Piper PA-25-235, VH-SPA, collided in mid-air at Caboolture Airfield, Queensland.
The pilot of the Piper PA-25 Pawnee, was in the circuit to land on runway 06 at Caboolture Airfield, Queensland. Caboolture was a non-controlled aerodrome relying on self-separation by pilots. The Pawnee was a tow aircraft for the local gliding club, and had been towing gliders from runway 06 and had previously landed on the same runway. Several other aircraft had used the intersecting runway 11 during periods where runway 06 was not being used. The windsock indicated a light wind that varied in direction, favouring runway 11 or runway 06 approximately equally.
As the Pawnee was on final approach to land, a Jabiru J430, registered VH-EDJ, commenced a take-off roll on runway 11. Approximately 16 seconds later, just prior to the Pawnee touching down, a Cessna 172, registered VH-EVR, taxied across runway 06 without stopping or making a radio call. Seeing the Cessna, the Pawnee pilot elected to conduct a go-around to avoid a potential collision with it.
While the Jabiru pilot appeared to see the Pawnee late in the sequence and attempted to evade it, the 2 aircraft collided near the runway intersection at approximately 130 ft above ground level. The Jabiru’s right wing was damaged as a result, and the aircraft collided with terrain, fatally injuring the pilot and passenger. The Pawnee was damaged, but it landed safely and its pilot was uninjured.
Contributing factors
- The Jabiru pilot likely unknowingly could not transmit or hear radio calls, and was probably not aware of the Pawnee being on final approach to runway 06 when they decided to commence take-off on runway 11.
- The Pawnee pilot did not hear an entering and/or rolling call from the Jabiru pilot, and it was not possible to establish from the available evidence whether a call was broadcast. In combination with the line of sight between them being blocked, the Pawnee pilot was therefore not aware that the Jabiru was taking off on the intersecting runway.
- The Cessna pilot did not hear the Pawnee pilot make a landing call, and had limited opportunity to be aware of traffic during taxi, due to having turned the radio volume down during pre-flight checks and not restoring it before taxi.
- Not having heard the Pawnee pilot's landing call and with most traffic using runway 11, the Cessna pilot had no expectation of an aircraft using runway 06, and taxied across the runway without stopping or looking for traffic while the Pawnee was landing. This resulted in the Pawnee commencing a go-around manoeuvre.
- A stand of trees between the intersecting runways prevented the Jabiru and Pawnee pilots from being able to observe one another from the time the Jabiru turned onto runway 11 for take-off until both aircraft had begun climbing.
- Based on the observed wind conditions at the time, and not anticipating any conflicting traffic, the Pawnee pilot elected to land on runway 06 even though all other traffic had been using runway 11.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-28/aircraft-crash-caboolture-paramedics-respond-significant/102660186
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12347045/Two-planes-collide-mid-air-Caboolture-airfield-Queensland.html
https://www.9news.com.au/national/caboolture-queensland-plane-crash/6c1bbd5e-7e45-4708-9215-dd50d6b8bd91?fbclid=IwAR1csMv-P0mdDUkdLDqRjHnVod7YPTGuDW58LN3eZMYvVZ4rArLWljuVBRc
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/jul/28/two-light-planes-crash-mid-air-collision-caboolture-airfield-queensland
https://www.casa.gov.au/search-centre/aircraft-register?search_api_fulltext=EDJ
https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/2023/report/ao-2023-036
https://cdn.jetphotos.com/full/5/52811_1640419856.jpg (photo in former c/s)
https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/2023/report/ao-2023-036
Location
Media:
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 28-Jul-2023 02:37 | Captain Adam | Added |
| 28-Jul-2023 05:22 | Anon. | Updated |
| 28-Jul-2023 05:31 | harro | Updated |
| 28-Jul-2023 06:12 | RobertMB | Updated |
| 29-Jul-2023 04:34 | Captain Adam | Updated |
| 29-Jul-2023 08:38 | RobertMB | Updated |
| 31-Jul-2023 07:44 | harro | Updated |
| 01-Aug-2023 07:32 | GliderDrew | Updated |
| 05-Jun-2025 12:01 | stefan_k | Updated [Embed code, ] |
| 05-Jun-2025 17:58 | ASN | Updated [Narrative, ] |
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