The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has commenced a transport safety investigation into the accident involving a Cessna 441 Conquest twin turboprop aircraft near Broome Airport, in northern WA.
As reported to the ATSB, shortly after the aircraft took off from Broome’s runway 10 it encountered a loss of engine power.
The ATSB is deploying a team of transport safety investigators, specialising in aircraft operations and engineering, and accident survivability, to the accident site from its Perth, Canberra, and Brisbane offices.
Once on site on Friday the investigation team will conduct a range of evidence-gathering activities, including aircraft examination and site mapping, and will recover any aircraft flight recorders or other components of interest for further examination at the ATSB’s technical facilities in Canberra.
Investigators will also interview flight crew, passengers, and any witnesses, and collect relevant recorded information including flight tracking data and CCTV footage, as well as pilot and aircraft maintenance records, and weather information.
The ATSB asks anyone with video footage of the accident flight, or its immediate aftermath, to contact us via the witness form on our website: atsb.gov.au/witness at your earliest opportunity.