NSW light plane crash was avoidable: ATSB
A pilot who died in a crash while landing a private aircraft in regional NSW should have attempted a so-called go-around, the national transport safety investigator has found.
A kit-built two-seater aircraft bounced several times, overran the runway and hit a watercourse after completing a flight from Camden to Somersby in March 2018, leaving the solo 75-year-old male pilot with fatal injuries.
In a report released on Tuesday, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau found the aircraft first touched ground at a high speed about halfway down the runway.
The light plane did not settle until there were only 125 metres of the 690-metre runway left, before overrunning the gravel and grass landing, then crashing into a watercourse.
The ATSB report said the presence of the watercourse increased the risk of aircraft damage and serious injury to the pilot by stopping the plane "significantly faster" than if the area were clear of obstacles.
"This investigation highlights the importance of pilot preparedness to conduct a go-around if the landing criteria are not met, or if there are indications of an unstable landing," the ATSB wrote in its report.
"Pilots should take into consideration the obstacles beyond the runway and assess how this may affect their preparedness for landing or conducting a go-around."
The ATSB recommended private airstrip owners consider including runway overrun areas.
It also recommended the Civil Aviation Safety Authority publish guidance for the inclusion of a safe runway overrun area in their regulatory advisory document for landing areas.
After the crash, the 75-year-old pilot was hospitalised with serious injuries, including a dislocated neck and cardiac arrest, but he died two days later.
