VFR aircraft hit radio station transmitter mast while trying to approach airfield in fog.

Propeller blade failed when aircraft IFR in cloud over mountains. Intergranular corrosion on blade front.

Aircraft had descended into trees at 2.5 deg, wings level. No witnesses. Possible VFR pilot in cloud descending.

The wreckage of the aircraft was located on the north-east slope of a ridge in a remote, densely timbered mountainous area. The accident site was virtually on the planned track of the aircraft and there is evidence to indicate that, at the time of initial impact with trees, the aircraft had been on a south-south-westerly heading in gently descending controlled flight with the wings level and at near normal cruising speed.

At approximately 1121 hours Eastern Summer Time on 29 February 1976, Piper PA32- 300 Cherokee Six aircraft registered VH-PGC crashed at a position 5 kilometres west of Merimbula Aerodrome, New South Wales, following structural disintegration in flight. The aircraft was engaged on a private flight from Cooma and was descending en route to Merimbula when the accident occurred. The aircraft was destroyed by aerodynamic and impact forces and the six occupants were killed.

Aircraft crashed into rice crop at high speed in a 30 deg nose down wings level attitude in fog. Cause undertermined.

The pilot commenced aerial spraying operations at about 0620 hours and, by 0920, he had completed four flights. He made no further flights during the day until about 2000 hours when he commenced the first of two flights required to spray a tomato crop. He had previously sprayed this crop on some four occasions during the previous two months. The weather was fine and warm, the wind was calm, there was no cloud and the end of daylight was at 2109 hours.

At approximately 1410 hours Eastern Standard Time on 6 June 1976, a parachutist was fatally injured on impact with the ground near Gatton, Queensland, following a free fall descent and failure of both the main and reserve parachutes to properly deploy.

The aircraft arrived at Bundaberg on 10 November 1976 and remained overnight. The ground safety locks were fitted by the Captain to all three landing gear units. He experienced some difficulty in fitting the nose landing gear ground safety lock but was eventually satisfied that it was correctly installed. On the following morning the main landing gear ground safety locks were removed before flight but the ground safety lock fitted to the nose landing gear was overlooked and remained in situ.

The aircraft departed from the Charters Towers aerodrome at approximately 1115 hours and, after flying over an area to the east and north-east, it proceeded towards Balfe's Creek, some 40 kilometres south-west of Charters Towers, where it landed at about 1210 hours. Some 15 minutes later, the four occupants re-boarded the aft and it took off towards the north-east. It then made a gradual right turn and, when last observed by a resident of Balfe's Creek, it was at a height of some 200 to 300 feet heading towards the nearby Lake Powlathanga. At about 1515 hours the surviving passenger was found by chance by a local resident on the shore of the lake.

On the day of the accident the pilot commenced operations in VH-WLP at about 0630 hours and completed two flights from Mareeba to Kowanyama and return. He then refuelled the aircraft, probably to capacity, adding 184 litres of fuel. The aircraft departed from Mareeba bound for Dunbar at 1430 hours. No passengers or freight were carried and it was intended to uplift five passengers at Dunbar for return to Mareeba. Weather conditions over the route were fine. At 1513 hours the pilot established high frequency radio communications with Weipa Flight Service Unit and reported that his position at 1510 hours was abeam Gamboola, altitude below 5000 feet and estimated arrival time at Dunbar was 1539 hours. Radio communications in the area were adversely affected by ionospheric conditions. At 1520 hours the pilot advised 'returning to Gamboola, estimating Gamboola three zero, have a suspected broken exhaust pipe'. Following a request from Weipa he advised that 'operations normal this time' and 'suspect that I have a broken exhaust pipe by vibration and engine no other indications.' The next communication from the pilot was at 1525 hours when he broadcast 'mayday mayday mayday, whisky lima papa, five miles closing down engine failure partial engine failure.' At 1526 hours the last transmission received from the aircraft was 'whisky lima papa I'm ah all but there to Gamboola five miles short I'm going to have to put down.'