ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 384
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| Date: | Thursday 3 August 2000 |
| Time: | 18:51 |
| Type: |  Cessna P206C |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | VH-EFA |
| MSN: | P206-0425 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | near Machans Beach, 4 km NNE Cairns, QLD -
 Australia
|
| Phase: | Approach |
| Nature: | Cargo |
| Departure airport: | Margaret Bay, Queensland |
| Cairns, Queensland (YBCS) | |
| Investigating agency: | ATSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot of a Cessna C206 was conducting a charter flight in accordance with the visual flight rules (VFR) from Margaret Bay to Cairns with a passenger and a cargo of live seafood. The flight was reported to have departed Margaret Bay at 1520 EST. At 1719 the Brisbane Daintree sector controller broadcast, on the area frequency, the amended Cairns terminal area forecast and the trend type forecast that indicated visual meteorological conditions (VMC) did not exist. Six minutes later, when the aircraft was estimated to have been northwest of Cooktown, the pilot requested the weather conditions at Mareeba. The controller informed the pilot of the automatic weather observing system information for Mareeba and said that he would attempt to obtain a cloud cover report from an overflying aircraft. The pilot was not informed of that information nor did he subsequently request it. At 1813 he reported at Cape Tribulation, 51 NM north of Cairns, and revised his estimate for Cairns to 1838. That estimate was 10 minutes after last light for Cairns. Shortly after, a pilot on the airstrip at Wonga Beach, about 38 NM north of Cairns, sighted the lights of an aircraft tracking coastal toward Cairns. That observer estimated that the aircraft was flying at an altitude of 100 ft and in visibility reduced to less than 1 NM in heavy rain and approaching darkness.
At 1824, four minutes before last light, the pilot contacted Cairns approach and reported that the aircraft was 33 NM north of Cairns. After the pilot confirmed that his operations were normal the approach controller advised him of the aerodrome terminal information service (ATIS) weather at Cairns. The controller asked the pilot if he was able to remain in sight of the coast and if he was capable of flight in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). The pilot advised that he had the coast in sight and that he was not capable of flight in IMC. The controller subsequently issued the pilot with a clearance to follow the coast not above 1,000 ft and remain in VMC. Although the pilot had not declared an emergency, the controller recognised the potential danger and declared an uncertainty phase.
Radar data from the time the aircraft was identified north of Cairns showed that the aircraft tracked east of the coast at altitudes varying between 200 and 600 ft. During that time the approach controller provided the pilot with cloud and visibility information reported by pilots conducting instrument approaches to runway 15 at Cairns. He monitored the progress of the flight and provided the pilot with distance and ground speed information. He also offered the pilot radar headings to establish the aircraft clear of terrain and position the aircraft for an approach to runway 15. The approach controller requested that the aerodrome controller select the approach lighting to maximum illumination. The pilot, in response to a query by the approach controller, advised that he had his landing lights on during the approach.
The Cairns meteorological observation at 1830 recorded a visibility of 2,500 m in rain showers with scattered stratus cloud at 300 ft and broken cumulus at 1,800 ft. A pilot making an instrument approach to Cairns ahead of the C206 reported the main cloud base as 1,100 ft with lower patches of cloud. He reported seeing the approach lights at 4 NM and the runway lights at 1 NM. The aerodrome controller estimated that the visibility at the time the C206 was making its approach was 1,500 m in heavy rain.
When the C206 was almost overhead the airport the pilot reported that he was unable to see the runway lights, so the controller instructed him to make a left orbit for a second landing attempt. The aerodrome controller saw the aircraft descend from 400 ft to approximately 100 ft during the turn and activated the crash alarm because he thought an accident was imminent. He selected omni-directional runway lighting to aid detection. The pilot's second approach was also unsuccessful and again the aircraft was seen to lose altitude while turning left. The approach controller then directed the pilot to take up a northerly heading, away from obstacles and terrain. He intended to position the aircraft for a third approach along the extended runway centre line so that the pilot would be better positioned to use the approach lighting for guidance to the runway. That flight path took the aircraft over the water off Machans Beach. At 1851, on the third attempt to approach and land and while being radar vectored onto a left base leg to runway 15, the aircraft disappeared from radar 2 NM north-north-east of Cairns.
Witnesses at Machans Beach reported seeing the lights of an aircraft flying at low-level offshore. They described seeing the lights rotate in a manner consistent with the aircraft rolling steeply to the left and disappearing from view in rain and mist. One witness reported hearing a faint sound of impact. Airport rescue and firefighting services had been alerted nearly one minute before the aircraft disappeared from radar. Despite the inclement conditions, an air and sea search of the area was conducted by the Cairns based search and rescue helicopter and rescue craft from the airport rescue and firefighting service. At 2050, searchers found the body of the passenger and debris in the water near the reported accident site. The following day some personal items and debris from the aircraft were found. Damage to the recovered aircraft parts suggested that the aircraft had impacted the water heavily and the accident was not survivable.
Air, sea and coastal searches continued over the next few days, including the use of airborne electronic detection equipment, but neither the pilot nor the main aircraft wreckage was found. On 9 November, 3 months after the accident, wreckage was sighted approximately 4 km offshore. Divers recovered parts from the underwater wreckage that were later identified as belonging to the accident aircraft.
Sources:
1. http://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/2000/aair/aair200003233.aspx
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 21-Jan-2008 10:00 | ASN archive | Added |
| 04-Mar-2011 01:56 | SDart | Updated [Total fatalities, Total occupants, Damage] |
| 24-Apr-2014 18:52 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Cn, Operator, Location, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 26-Nov-2021 00:47 | Ron Averes | Updated [Damage] |
| 10-Jun-2022 07:23 | Ron Averes | Updated [Location] |
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