Summary
The aircraft departed Brick House Station for a sheep mustering flight and, after ninety minutes, was
landed on a clay pan. Twenty minutes later the aircraft was reboarded to resume the aerial mustering.
The pilot taxied the aircraft at a fast speed in a prolonged turn before he applied full power upon reaching
his selected take-off direction. When the airspeed was approximately 60 knots and as the pilot was about
to lift-off, a sudden and complete loss of engine power occurred. Despite application of brakes, the
pilot was unable to stop the aircraft before it reached the edge of the clay pan and entered the light scrub.
During the investigation the engine was started normally and an examination of the fuel system did not
reveal any abnormalities.
