At 1144 hours Eastern Summer Time, on 22 December 1990, during a search for a missing aircraft, Cessna 210 aircraft VH-PLD crashed in inhospitable terrain following a complete loss of engine power. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces; the pilot, co-pilot, and two observers received fatal injuries, and two other observers suffered serious injury. The Bureau determined that a failure of a connecting rod bolt resulted in the loss of engine power. The connecting rod penetrated the crankcase, allowing engine oil to escape. The oil was blown back onto the windscreen, probably obscuring the pilots' vision during the forced landing approach.
