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A Cessna pilot involved in a fatal crash earlier this year was likely incapacitated by an unknown medical event, the ATSB has found.
The single-engine Cessna 150M, VH-WWU, was flying from Geraldton to Shark Bay in Western Australia on 21 March when it entered a spiral dive and hit the ground near Ogilvie. The pilot, who died in the accident, had been “acutely unwell” and was likely still symptomatic, the ATSB said.
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“Wreckage examination found no evidence of any in-flight failure of the airframe or flight controls, and the engine was producing power throughout the descent,” said ATSB chief commissioner Angus Mitchell.
“Based on the pilot’s significant aviation experience and medical history, and the established sequence of events, it was determined the pilot likely experienced an incapacitating medical event resulting in a deviation off track and the uncorrected spiral dive.”
While there was no available radar or ADS-B recording of the flight, the ATSB was able to recover data from a damaged Garmin 296 GPS which was fitted to the aircraft.
That data indicated that about 30 minutes into the flight the aircraft had briefly deviated right of its track, then entered a shallow left turn which transitioned into a spiral dive, before the collision with terrain about three minutes after the initial deviation.
The ATSB consulted with an independent medical professional and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, as well as the pilot’s general practitioner, next of kin, and designated aviation medical practitioner (DAME), to consider possible medical events which could have incapacitated the pilot, including cardiovascular conditions and acute gastroenteritis.
“While it is very likely the pilot experienced an incapacitation event, the evidence available did not allow the exact nature of the incapacitation to be determined,” said Mitchell.
The investigation’s final report advises pilots to ensure they conduct the ‘IMSAFE’ checklist prior to every flight.
The checklist, created by the US Federal Aviation Administration, prompts pilots to consider whether factors such as illness, medication, stress, alcohol, fatigue or emotion could affect their performance and compromise flight safety.
“Pilots are encouraged to integrate this checklist into their pre-flight routine, no matter how routine the flight,” said Mitchell.
“Prioritising personal fitness for flight duty helps reduce risk, not only for the pilot, but for passengers, crew and the public.”
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