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The kit-built aircraft that crashed north of Sale last month, killing three relatives onboard, pitched “nose down” before crashing into a paddock and bursting into flames, a preliminary report by the ATSB has concluded.
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An investigation by the safety investigator relied on footage from a CCTV camera 700 metres from the accident site. It revealed initial details about the crash that claimed the lives of 20-year-old pilot Luke Smith, his younger brother Ben, 16, and cousin Dusty Daly, 15.
“As the investigation proceeds, the ATSB will analyse and examine the avionics unit and aircraft components recovered from the accident site and will review aircraft records, including design and certification standards,” ATSB chief commissioner Angus Mitchell said.
“Investigators will also review witness reports and interviews with key personnel.”
The pilot and two passengers were killed when their Morgan Cougar aircraft, registered VH-LDV, crashed into a paddock in Victoria’s Gippsland region on 16 November 2024.
After taking off from West Sale, the kit-built aircraft flew north and conducted a series of turns over the township of Maffra.
It then travelled west before orbiting overhead a Tinamba West property, which belonged to relatives of the aircraft occupants.
“ATSB transport safety investigators’ examination of the accident site identified the aircraft impacted flat and open terrain,” Mitchell said.
“In coming months, our investigators will continue to examine and analyse all evidence available to develop findings and identify safety action that can help reduce the likelihood of another tragic accident such as this one.”
The ATSB will release a final report at the conclusion of the investigation.
Edge Aviation instructor Lorraine MacGillivray, who believes she was the last person to see the trio alive, told The Australian the incident was a “tragic accident” and said the family were “broken” and “in a lot of pain”.
“We’re in a state in the industry at the moment where we are looking at training, we’re looking at maintenance, we’re looking at particularly loss-of-control flight accidents,” she said.
“I met these young men – my heart absolutely aches for their families whose lives are changed forever.
“I’ve been working on this situation with the training standard for some time with my daughter, and we are looking at the training syllabus, and we are rewriting and examining a lot of things to find out why these accidents are happening and try to prevent them from occurring in the future.
“It’s got to stop – we can’t prevent every accident any more than we can prevent every car accident – but we have to damn well try. These families’ lives have been changed forever.”
