| Occurrence Briefs are concise reports that detail the facts surrounding a transport safety occurrence, as received in the initial notification and any follow-up enquiries. They provide an opportunity to share safety messages in the absence of an investigation. Because occurrence briefs are not investigations under the Transport Safety Investigation Act 2003, the information in them is de-identified. |
What happened
On the morning of 26 May 2026, the pilot of a Found Aircraft Canada FBA-2C3 planned a private flight to inspect water levels on properties near Richmond, Queensland (Qld).
The aircraft departed Burleigh Station, Qld, with no abnormalities observed during the take-off or initial climb stages of flight. The pilot established the aircraft in cruise at 500 ft AGL and shortly thereafter during the cruise, the engine failed. The pilot immediately cycled the fuel tanks and turned the fuel pump on, then attempted to restart the engine and was briefly successful. However, without constant power restored, the pilot commenced a search for a suitable field for a forced landing.
At the time of the engine failure, the aircraft was overhead a freshly ploughed crop field. The pilot was aware that while the landing area was open and vast, which would allow the aircraft to manoeuvre as required, the field appeared to be soft which might affect the forced landing.
The pilot manoeuvred the aircraft into the wind and commenced the landing checks. A low-speed landing was conducted, however, once the front main wheels came into contact with the soil, the nose wheel remained stuck into the ground and the aircraft flipped over, coming to rest inverted. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, nose wheel and empennage.
Once evacuated from the aircraft, the pilot inspected the fuel tanks and confirmed sufficient fuel remained on board with nil contaminants evident.
Figure 1: Aircraft wreckage
Safety message
The risks associated with flying at low level are well known to pilots. Low altitude means less decision time and a lower margin for error and recovery when unexpected events such as an engine failure occur.
Practising forced landings from various altitudes under safe conditions can assist pilots to best prepare for an emergency situation.
About this report
Decisions regarding whether to conduct an investigation, and the scope of an investigation, are based on many factors, including the level of safety benefit likely to be obtained from an investigation. For this occurrence, no investigation has been conducted and the ATSB did not verify the accuracy of the information. A brief description has been written using information supplied in the notification and any follow-up information in order to produce a short summary report, and allow for greater industry awareness of potential safety issues and possible safety actions.
Occurrence summary
| Mode of transport | Aviation |
|---|---|
| Occurrence ID | AB-2026-033 |
| Occurrence date | 26/05/2026 |
| Location | About 48 km from Richmond Airport |
| State | Queensland |
| Occurrence class | Accident |
| Aviation occurrence category | Collision with terrain, Engine failure or malfunction, Forced/precautionary landing |
| Highest injury level | None |
| Brief release date | 03/07/2026 |
Aircraft details
| Manufacturer | Found Aircraft Canada Inc |
|---|---|
| Model | FBA-2C3 |
| Sector | Piston |
| Operation type | Part 91 General operating and flight rules |
| Activity | General aviation / Recreational - Aerial work - Other agricultural |
| Departure point | Burleigh Station, Queensland |
| Destination | Burleigh Station, Queensland |
| Damage | Substantial |