Summary
On 21 May 2009, the pilot of a Piper PA-31 Navajo, registered VH-WAL, was conducting a flight under the instrument flight rules from Albury, NSW to Canberra, ACT with one passenger on board. Approximately halfway through the flight, the pilot became concerned about the quantity of fuel remaining and subsequently conducted a precautionary landing 50 km south-west of Canberra. There was no reported damage to the aircraft or injuries to the occupants.
The aircraft operator has advised the ATSB that, as a result of this occurrence, it has implemented a requirement for all of its pilots to use a documented fuel plan in all circumstances when flying from one location to another.
Occurrence summary
| Investigation number | AO-2009-022 |
|---|---|
| Occurrence date | 21/05/2009 |
| Location | 50 km south-west of Canberra Airport |
| State | New South Wales |
| Report release date | 14/12/2009 |
| Report status | Final |
| Investigation level | Systemic |
| Investigation type | Occurrence Investigation |
| Investigation status | Completed |
| Mode of transport | Aviation |
| Aviation occurrence category | Fuel - Other |
| Occurrence class | Incident |
| Highest injury level | None |
Aircraft details
| Manufacturer | Piper Aircraft Corp |
|---|---|
| Model | PA-31 |
| Registration | VH-WAL |
| Serial number | 31-7300943 |
| Sector | Piston |
| Operation type | Private |
| Departure point | Albury, NSW |
| Destination | Canberra, ACT |
| Damage | Minor |