UPDATED 3PM 12 OCTOBER: The ATSB has commenced a transport safety investigation into an accident involving a Piper Cherokee Lance aircraft at Shellharbour Airport on Saturday morning.
The aircraft was departing from runway 26 when soon after take-off flight tracking data shows it deviating to the left and impacting the end of the intersecting runway. Despite a timely response from first responders the aircraft was consumed by a post-impact fire and the three occupants were fatally injured.
The ATSB deployed a team of 4 transport safety investigators from its Canberra and Melbourne offices, specialising in aircraft operations, maintenance and engineering, to the accident site.
Arriving on site on late Saturday afternoon, investigators undertook an initial site assessment.
Returning to the site on Sunday morning they began conducting a range of evidence-gathering activities, with their initial focus on surveying the accident site including mapping with a drone, and documenting witness marks and the location and condition of the aircraft wreckage before allowing the wreckage to be removed from the runway so that it could reopen later on Sunday.
The aircraft wreckage has now been removed to a hangar on the airport where further examination is taking place as investigators seek to establish any evidence of pre‑existing aircraft faults, continuity of flight controls and engine issues.
Investigators have also begun interviewing involved parties and witnesses, and are collecting relevant recorded information including flight tracking data, airport radio calls and CCTV footage, as well as pilot and aircraft maintenance records, and weather information.
The ATSB asks anyone with video footage of the aircraft prior to the accident to make contact via the witness form on our website: atsb.gov.au/witness at their earliest opportunity.
The ATSB anticipates releasing a preliminary report detailing factual information established in the investigation’s evidence-gathering phase in about two months.
A final report, detailing findings and the analysis to support those findings, will be published at the conclusion of the investigation
However, should a critical safety issue be identified at any stage during the investigation, the ATSB will immediately notify relevant parties so safety action can be taken.