Preliminary
Preliminary report released 30 October 2009
At about 1130 Western Standard Time on 3 October 2009, the pilot of an Air Tractor Inc. AT-502 aircraft, registered VH-ODP, took off from a paddock on a property about 5 km north-east of Wickepin, WA to conduct agricultural spraying operations. A short time later, the owner of the property discovered the wreckage of the aircraft, which had impacted the ground in an inverted attitude, fatally injuring the pilot. There were no witnesses to the accident.
Summary
At 1153 Western Standard Time on 3 October 2009, the pilot of an Air Tractor Inc. 502 aircraft, registered VH-ODP, took off from an agricultural airstrip on a property about 5 km north-east of Wickepin, Western Australia to conduct agricultural spraying operations. A short time later, the owner of the property discovered the wreckage of the aircraft, which had impacted the ground in an inverted attitude, fatally injuring the pilot.
There were no witnesses to the accident; however, the investigation determined that the aircraft had made contact with the upper branches of a tall tree prior to impact with the terrain.
The investigation did not identify any organisational or systemic issues that might adversely affect the future safety of aviation operations.
Occurrence summary
| Investigation number | AO-2009-060 |
|---|---|
| Occurrence date | 03/10/2009 |
| Location | 5 km north-east of Wickepin |
| State | Western Australia |
| Report release date | 23/02/2011 |
| Report status | Final |
| Investigation level | Systemic |
| Investigation type | Occurrence Investigation |
| Investigation status | Completed |
| Mode of transport | Aviation |
| Aviation occurrence category | Collision with terrain |
| Occurrence class | Accident |
| Highest injury level | Fatal |
Aircraft details
| Manufacturer | Air Tractor Inc |
|---|---|
| Model | AT502 |
| Registration | VH-ODP |
| Serial number | 502-0056 |
| Sector | Turboprop |
| Operation type | Aerial Work |
| Damage | Substantial |