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The burnt out wreckage of the Chieftain. The photograph was taken the morning after the accident. (BASI)
Air Safety — Footballers’ Flight Ends in Tragedy
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Footballers’ Flight Ends in Tragedy (Based on a report by the Bureau of Air Safety Investigation*)
The members of a Victorian football club planned to spend a weekend in Launceston, Tasmania and, as one of their number worked as a Grade 3 Flying Instructor with a Moorabbin-based flying school, it fell to him to organise the hire of three light twins for the trip.
The hire of all three — a Piper Chieftain, a Navajo and an Aztec — would be on a private cost-sharing basis. He would fly the Chieftain himself and obtain the services of another two pilots for the Navajo and the Aztec. The young instructor held a multi-engine command instrument rating, but was not yet endorsed on PA-31 series aircraft. He had been conversion training a few days earlier and, to complete the endorsement, as well as have time to finalise plans, he arranged with his flying school to be rostered off duty for the Thursday and Friday prior to the weekend. In fine weather on the Thursday, the young instructor, under the tutelage of his Chief Pilot, carried out upper air work and circuits and landings on the Piper Chieftain he was to take to Launceston. After a little less than two hours’ dual, the Chief Pilot signed him out as competent to fly in command of PA-31 aircraft.
By 9am on the Friday, the young instructor was back at the flying school, ready to spend the day completing arrangements for the party’s departure later that afternoon. Early in the afternoon, using the Avfax system, he obtained the area forecasts covering the route to Launceston, together with Terminal forecasts for Launceston, Devonport and Wynyard. These predicted broken cumulus and stratocumulus cloud with a base of 2500ft over Bass Strait, with tops to 4000ft. Broken stratus at 1500ft could be expected on the northern coast of Tasmania after 6pm, with isolated rain. Two octas of stratocumulus at 2000ft and three octas at 3500ft were expected at Launceston. The forecast wind was 150° at 10kt, and the visibility 10km or more. He then submitted IFR flight plans by fax for the Chieftain and Navajo and a VFR plan for the Aztec. The destination weather appeared to be quite satisfactory for a VFR arrival.
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