ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 214014
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| Date: | Tuesday 11 April 1978 |
| Time: | 20:46 |
| Type: |  Beechcraft B60 |
| Owner/operator: | |
| Registration: | VH-BKN |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Location: | near Sunbury, VIC -
 Australia
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | YBHI |
| YMEN | |
| Investigating agency: | BASI |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
During the afternoon of 11 April 1978 the pilot operated the aircraft from Moorabbin to Broken Hill. Soon after takeoff from Moorabbin, while still on runway heading, the Collins PN101 compass processed rapidly about one hundred degrees and the pilot used the fast slave switch to re-synchronise it.
On take off from Broken Hill for Essendon, the PN101 compass again malfunctioned in a similar manner. The aircraft climbed to Flight Level 175 and the flight continued in the cruise without further known incident.
By the time that the pilot initiated a descent for landing, daylight had ended. The Essendon Automatic Terminal Information being broadcast at this time included, "Runway 17, wet, wind 200° 10 to 15 knots, QNH 1014, temperature 14°C, 4 oktas of cloud at 1500 feet with lower patches, showers in the area, expect instrument approach".
The glide slope presentations of both VHF/NAV sets installed in the aircraft were unserviceable. Consequently the pilot elected to make a twin locator approach to runway 17 utilising the aircraft's single ADF and the Arcadia and Meadow locators, which were situated 5.6 n miles apart, with Meadow bearing 169 Magnetic from Arcadia.
After having been given descent clearance, the pilot advised Melbourne ATC, on request, that he was receiving the Arcadia locator transmission. He was then cleared direct to Arcadia and, subsequently, was informed that radar indicated he was two and a half miles to the right of the extended centre line of runway 17, eight miles from Arcadia. He was cleared to make a straight-in approach and instructed to call Essendon Tower when he began to descend from three thousand feet.
Continuous heavy rain which precluded the possibility of any external references was encountered as the aircraft approached Arcadia. The intended track of 169° from Arcadia to Meadow was intercepted just north of Arcadia and the aircraft passed slightly to the east of the aid on a heading of 175°. The aircraft was last observed on radar by Melbourne ATC when it was about two miles south of Arcadia. There was no prescribed requirement for the progress of the aircraft to be constantly monitored by radar.
Having established that he had passed Arcadia by means of a relative bearing of 170 on the ADF, the pilot commenced descent and reported to Essendon Tower that the aircraft was on final approach and had left 3000 feet. On receipt of this transmission the Essendon Tower controller noted that his radar screen was showing a return from an aircraft at Arcadia, and as there was no other traffic in the area he accepted that it was VH-BKN. He cleared the aircraft to continue approach and then turned his attention to other matters and did not further monitor the aircraft's approach.
The pilot has stated that, after passing Arcadia, he tuned the ADF to Meadow locator and obtained a relative bearing of 330° with the PN101 compass still indicating a heading of 175°. The magnetic compass was seen to be oscillating around 270° at this time. Arcadia locator was retuned and the relative bearing of 170° was confirmed. Once again an attempt was made to tune Meadow locator and on this occasion a relative bearing of 270° was registered by the ADF. The pilot also noted that the aircraft had descended to 1200 feet.
At this time, by referring to heading indicator instrumentation other than the PN101 compass, the pilot determined that the aircraft had turned onto, or was turning through, 300° although the PN101 compass continued to indicate a heading of 175°. He banked the aircraft to the left for a brief period and
then levelled the wings, at the same time selecting take-off engine power to initiate a go-around. Flaps and
landing gear were, selected up but, as the aircraft assumed a climbing attitude on a track of 268°, the
propellers and then the lower fuselage contacted the ground in a wet, grassed, gently sloping field. The
propellers separated from the engines and, some 200 metres after initial impact, the aircraft settled on the
ground. It slid a further 180 metres and passed through a wire fence, before coming to rest.
The evidence of the pilot indicates that the PN101 compass system had given false heading indications on two occasions prior to the accident. A similar false heading indication could be consistent with the circumstances leading to the accident. Extensive post-accident testing and examination of the equipment components failed to reproduce a malfunction of this nature and no defects which could have caused such a malfunction were found.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/1978/aair/197802536/
https://www.atsb.gov.au/media/5226326/197802536.pdf
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 04-Aug-2018 02:13 | Pineapple | Added |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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