Separation issue involving a Cessna 404, VH-UOP, near Wentworth, New South Wales, on 26 March 1993

VH-UOP was on descent from Broken Hill to Mildura. The pilot of VH-UOP made appropriate radio calls on the Mildura mandatory traffic advisory frequency (MTAF) and took note of traffic. He copied 238 degrees as the outbound track for one of the aircraft from Mildura. VH-SFQ advised VH-UOP that there was another aircraft just ahead. At the same moment the pilot of VH-UOP saw a single engine Cessna within 500 metres diving off to the left in a right hand descending turn. The pilot of VH-UOP took no evasive action. He made a general broadcast directed to any aircraft in the Dareton area. VH-RFB responded. VH-RFB's track ex Mildura was 338 degrees direct for Broken Hill, not 228 degrees as earlier copied by VH-UOP.

Some of the radio transmissions from VH-RFB were muffled, which brought about the misunderstanding.

Significant Factors

The following factors were considered relevant to the development of the incident:

1. Some of the radio transmissions from VH-RFB were hard to understand.

2. The pilot of VH-UOP misunderstood a radio transmission from VH-RFB.