A preliminary report by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) says they are investigating to confirm if radio issues and a third plane could have inadvertently contributed to a midair collision that killed two people at the Caboolture Airfield last July.
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The accident occurred when a Cessna 172 student pilot taxied onto the runway as a Piper Pawnee tow plane was attempting to land.
The Piper aborted its landing, colliding shortly after with a Jabiru J430 that was taking off from an intersecting runway. The Jabiru’s occupants, local pilot David Maddern and his wife Jan, were both killed in the crash.
According to the ATSB report, the student pilot had turned down his radio volume to conduct engine run-ups and did not restore the volume before taxiing. As a result, he did not hear Piper’s communications. Investigators believe this led the Piper pilot to abort the landing, putting it on a collision course with the Jabiru.
ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell stated the investigation is ongoing, as analysts examine radio recordings, CCTV footage, witness accounts and the crash site itself to fully understand the sequence of events. He noted investigators are looking into a range of factors that may have contributed.
“Not all radio calls at Caboolture were recorded and our analysis of witnesses’ recollections of radio calls is continuing, so we are still building our understanding of the nature of the calls made, and giving consideration to a range of other potential factors,” said Mr Mitchell.
According to aviation experts, communication issues on busy runways can quickly create hazardous situations. The incident highlights the critical importance of pilots maintaining situational awareness through radio contact and visual scanning.
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The ATSB expects to issue a final report once all factors surrounding the collision at Caboolture Airfield have been thoroughly examined. In the meantime, officials say valuable safety lessons are already emerging from the tragic incident.
Featured image credit: Australian Transport Safety Bureau/Facebook
Published 12-September-2023
