See attached file to the right.

On 2 April, 1975 a Cessna 172K aircraft, registered VH-RGU, disappeared while on a flight from Welpa to Aurukun Mission, Queensland. The pilot, was the only person on board the aircraft. No trace of the aircraft has been found; however on 12 April, 1975 the body of the pilot was found on a tidal flat in Archer Bay, five kilometres west of Aurukun Mission.

At 1400 hours WST on 14 October, 1974 Boeing 727/76 aircraft registered VH-TJB, encountered severe turbulence during cruise at flight level 350 near Caiguna, Western Australia. Two of the fifty-one passengers were seriously injured, eighteen passengers and two flight hostesses sustained minor injury and there was damage to cabin fittings and furnishings.

At approximately 0338 hours Western Standard Time (WST) on 17 January 1974, Fokker Fellowship F-28-1000 aircraft, registered VH-FKA, overran Runway 10 during a landing at Broome Airport, Western Australia, and became bogged in soft earth. The aircraft was engaged in operating a Regular Public Transport flight and was carrying fifty-six passengers. No one was injured and the damage incurred by the aircraft was minor.

On its return to the mustering area, communication was established with a stockman riding a motor cycle who was directed towards some straggling sheep. The aircraft then dived to a low height to indicate the position of the stragglers.

An impact noise was heard shortly afterwards. Examination of the wreckage indicated that the aircraft had struck the ground in a very steep nose down attitude consistent with an uncompleted recovery from a stall. There was no evidence of any engine defect and it was established that aircraft had adequate- fuel.

On its return to the mustering area, communication was established with a stockman riding a motor cycle who was directed towards some straggling sheep. The aircraft then dived to a low height to indicate the position of the stragglers. As the aircraft pulled up from the dive the pilot said that he had lost sight of the sheep and would dive towards their position again. The aircraft again dived to a low height and climbed away with the wings level. As it commenced to level out at a height estimated as between 300 and 500 feet, the engine noise was heard to cease and it then passed out of the stockman's sight behind a tree. An impact noise was heard shortly afterwards. Examination of the wreckage Indicated that the aircraft had struck the ground in a very steep nose down attitude consistent with an uncompleted recovery from a stall. There was no evidence of any engine defect and it was established that aircraft had adequate- fuel.

At approximately 1259 hours, central standard time, on 14 July, 1974 a parachutist was fatally injured by impact with the ground following a free fall descent near Sanderston, South Australia. Witnesses on the ground saw the three parachutes open but became aware that something was wrong with one which was spiralling to the left and descending much faster than the other two. Observers thought the rigging lines appeared to be twisted for at least three quarters of the way up to the canopy. Just before the parachutist disappeared behind low trees the main parachute was jettisoned and a flash of white was observed as the reserve parachute apparently started to deploy at a very low height.

After take-off, the aircraft circled Moorook and then Kingston -on -Murray after which it headed In a northerly direction until it was again over the Murray River. It then followed the river on a generally westerly heading to Wigley Flat, a small settlement some 22 kilometres east of Waikerie, and, after circling at a low height, continued along the river. As the aircraft followed a bend in the river and was turning to the right, the pilot suddenly saw a power cable immediately ahead but there was insufficient time to take avoiding action before the cable was struck. The aircraft crashed into the river below but the three occupants were able to open the doors and leave the cabin before it sank in deep water.

The pilot spent most of the day of 12 May, 1974 at the Whyalla Airport and, at about 1730 hours, he adjourned to the club house of the local aero club.

Examination of the wreckage indicated that the aircraft had dived steeply at high speed into soft ground and virtually disintegrated at Impact. There was no evidence of any pre-impact structural failure, system malfunction or mechanical failure which could have contributed to the accident. The pilot's watch had stopped because of Impact damage and indicated 4.25 hours. A comparison of the tachometer reading and the aircraft records indicated that the duration of the final flight was 25 minutes. It seems most likely that the accident occurred before first light on the morning of 13 May at which time light rain was falling from high overcast cloud and there was low cloud with a base of 1,000 to 1,500 feet. The pilot did not hold any instrument rating and was therefore restricted to flight in visual meteorological conditions by day. His log book indicated that he had no instrument flight time and that his night flying experience was limited to one dual flight of 15 minutes some nine months prior to the accident.

After a short local flight the aircraft returned to the landing area and made a low run, at a height estimated as between 30 and 100 feet, in a south-easterly direction and passed near the group of persons on the ground. This was followed by a run at a similar height in a north-westerly direction and a further similar run to the south-east. Shortly after passing near the group of spectators on the third run, a steep climb was commenced and, at the top of the climb, the left wing dropped until the aircraft was almost inverted, the nose lowered and the aircraft rotated to the left as it dived towards the ground. The rotation appeared to cease just before the aircraft struck the ground in a steep nose down attitude and burst into flames.

At 1627 hours the wreckage of VH-EQU was located in an area of relatively dense timber 137 metres beyond and 91 metres to the left of the end of Runway 14 at Batchelor. The aircraft had struck the ground at a relatively low speed whilst in a steep nose down, left wing down attitude. The evidence indicates that the aircraft sustained a substantial, but unexplained, loss of power at a low height after take off.