Break-up

A Chieftain’s fatal thunderstorm encounter

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau report on the inflight break-up of a Piper Chieftain makes sober reading for all pilots. VH-PYN broke-up in a fierce thunderstorm and crashed north of Condobolin, NSW, on December 2 2005, killing all four occupants.

Taking off from Archerfield Airport in Brisbane at 11. 22am, the privately owned Chieftain was on an IFR flight to Griffith, NSW. On board in addition to the pilotin- command, was a second pilot gaining knowledge of the aircraft’s operation, and the owner of the aircraft and his wife.