ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 33604
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| Date: | Friday 4 January 1974 |
| Time: | 20:20 EST |
| Type: |  Beechcraft 35-B33 Debonair |
| Owner/operator: | Wright Air Taxis Pty Ltd |
| Registration: | VH-DEW |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4 |
| Aircraft damage: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | 1.4 Km N of Barkly Downs Homestead, QLD -
 Australia
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Boulia, Queensland (BQL/YBOU) |
| Mount Isa, Queensland (YBMA) | |
| Investigating agency: | BASI |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
At approximately 20:20 hours EST on 4 January, 1974 a Beech 35/C33A "Debonair" aircraft, registered VH-DEW, struck the ground in conditions of heavy rain and darkness some 1400 metres north of Barkly Downs homestead, Queensland.
On board the aircraft were the pilot, Ian Fraser Smith and three passengers, Cheryl Margaret Manners, Elsie May Miller and Lionel Sapsford Paulus. The aircraft was destroyed in the accident and all the occupants were killed.
Examination of the wreckage subsequently established that the aircraft had struck the ground on a south-westerly heading, at high speed in a 20 to 30 degrees nose down attitude and while slightly banked to the right.
The aircraft had broken up on impact and the wreckage trail extended about 137 metres beyond the point of initial ground contact. There was no evidence of any pre-impact structural failure, defect or malfunction which could have contributed to the accident
ATSB Conclusion:
The cause of the accident was that the pilot, when faced with a situation of deteriorating weather and approaching darkness, persisted in his attempt to reach Mount Isa when alternative actions to effect a safe landing elsewhere were available to him
Sources:
1. https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/1974/aair/aair197400001.aspx
2. https://www.pprune.org/pacific-general-aviation-questions/490652-v-tail-bonanza-critique.html#post7299500
3. https://www.atsb.gov.au/media/25000/197400001.pdf
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 27-Sep-2008 01:00 | ASN archive | Added |
| 15-Apr-2014 20:33 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Operator, Location, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 15-Apr-2014 20:34 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
| 22-Apr-2014 21:02 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Aircraft type] |
| 09-Jun-2022 12:01 | Ron Averes | Updated [Location] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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