A King Air’s tail was damaged after being struck when the aircraft’s VHF antenna detached from the top of the fuselage during a descent into Bankstown, an ATSB final report details.
On 18 June 2025, the Beechcraft King Air B200 was descending to land at Sydney’s Bankstown Airport, with a pilot and four passengers on board.
The pilot reported hearing a whistling noise, then the sound of an impact coming from the rear of the aircraft. A short time later, they realised they were unable to communicate with air traffic control via the radio currently in use.
“The pilot was able to re-establish communication by switching to the aircraft’s second radio, demonstrating the value of redundancy in safety-critical systems,” ATSB Director of Transport Safety Dr Stuart Godley said.
After a safe landing, an inspection found the VHF antenna on the top of the aircraft’s fuselage was missing, and that the vertical stabiliser was damaged.
“The top of the antenna was not recovered, but examination of the aluminium antenna base showed evidence of moisture ingress,” Dr Godley said.
“While the exact failure mechanism could not be determined, the moisture ingress resulted in the antenna failing and separating from the aircraft.”
Dr Godley noted that corrosion due to moisture ingress could have weakened the bond between structural components within the antenna, or the moisture may have been absorbed by the composite skin of the antenna, reducing its strength.
“While it is not clear whether pre-existing damage would have been observable during antenna inspections, this occurrence is nonetheless a useful reminder of the importance of vigilance while conducting routine maintenance,” he concluded.
Read the final report: Antenna failure involving Beechcraft King Air B200, VH-EEL, near Bankstown Airport, New South Wales, on 18 June 2025