The pilot lost control of the glider during a turn and recovery could not be effected in the height available. The probable cause of the loss of control was that buffet, induced by aileron flutter, masked the pre-stall buffet which normally provides stall warning.

Examination of the aircraft wreckage revealed that the flaps were in the fully extended position. Performance data in respect of the aircraft type indicates that, had the flaps of VH-SVD been retracted at an early stage of the abandoned approach, it would have been possible for the aircraft to have outclimbed the terrain into which it crashed.

The cause of the accident was an in-flight activation of the rapid deflation system. A possible explanation is that the activation occurred when, following an encounter with a 'willy willy', spinning of the envelope and basket resulted in the chimney control line entangling with the twisting basket and burner suspension lines.

Examination of the wreckage disclosed no evidence of any defect or malfunction which may have contributed to the accident. The aircraft had struck a densely timbered slope whilst turning away from rising ground and it had come to rest in an upright attitude. The machinery wheel from the luggage compartment had broken free on impact and had struck the occupants of the front seats.

The tug struck and deflected the towbar and then collided with the aircrafts nosewheel structure, pushing it backward. The nose section of the aircraft crushed the tug cabin, killing the driver.

As the Twin Comanche aircraft approached a heading consistent with a crosswind leg of the traffic pattern the pilot in command and two of the passengers sighted the Cessna aircraft very close on their starboard side. The pilot in command took immediate action in an attempt to avoid the Cessna but, before this action became effective, the starboard propeller of the Twin Comanche passed through the elevator, tailcone, rudder and lower rear fuselage of that aircraft. The Twin Comanche passed beneath the Cessna, crossing from left to right. At 1326:50 hours EST the pilot in command of the Twin Comanche notified Bankstown Tower that his aircraft had collided with another aircraft.

While the aircraft was banked about 45 degrees to the right it struck a tree at a height of 42 feet and, following impact with other trees, it struck the ground in an inverted attitude and a fierce fire broke out.

On 23 October 1975 Hawker Siddeley Heron DH114 2E/A1 aircraft, registered VHCLS, with a crew of three and eight passengers aboard, departed Mount Isa, Queensland, for Cairns on a regular public transport service. The flight proceeded to the vicinity of Cairns without reported incident and at 1917 hours Eastern Standard Time (EST) it was cleared for, and acknowledged instructions for an ILS (instrument landing system) approach to Runway 15 at Cairns Airport. At 1926 hours the flight reported 'going round' and, at about this time a number of people located at various positions to the north of the airport observed an aircraft manoeuvring at a low height. Shortly afterwards the aircraft crashed at a point 2813 metres north-west of the threshold of Runway 15. Heavy rain and lightning were in the general area of the accident site. The aircraft was virtually destroyed, and all of its occupants were killed as a result of the accident.

 

 

The port wing tip contacted the ground and the aircraft crashed in an inverted attitude.

The aircraft undershot, struck a tree short of the intended landing area and, with the starboard wing torn off by tree impact it swung through 180 degrees and crashed to the ground in a flat attitude some 12 metres beyond the tree. As the pilot assisted the passengers to vacate the aircraft a fire, which was initially apparent in the area of the starboard wing root, developed rapidly.