Yak 52 accident South Stradbroke Island, June 5 2019

[red750]

A Queensland coroner has been unable to determine why a pilot lost control and crashed into seawater at the Gold Coast in 2019, causing his death and that of his female passenger. It is thought a loose item may have been responsible.

 

Read the report here.

 

 

[Thruster88]

The ATSB produced a very comprehensive report on this "accident"

 

https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/2019/aair/ao-2019-027

[turboplanner]

Beat me to it.

Without making any comments,the above two links are a comparison of a Coroner's report, through AAP, and the ATSB Report on the same fatal crash.

Self Administering Organisations generally get the former.

[onetrack]

Quote

It is thought a loose item may have been responsible.

"May" is the operative word. The above scene was merely speculation on the part of the coroner and other witnesses. No-one saw what happened and the total destruction of the aircraft eliminated any chance of an accident reconstruction.

 

A far better conclusion would be that the pilot was a known risk-taker and there was plenty of evidence provided that he had been observed previously, carrying out risky aerobatic manoueuvres.

 

From the ATSB report ....

 

Quote

"It was also established that, during the accident flight and previous flights, the pilot conducted low‑level aerobatics without completing the required training or having the appropriate endorsement. This would have potentially limited the pilot’s appreciation of the risks associated with low-level aerobatics.

Some of the pilot’s low-level aerobatic flights had been witnessed by people with aviation experience and knowledge. While the pilot did receive some warnings about this, there were other opportunities and means for people to formally communicate and escalate their concerns that were not used."

 

[facthunter]

In such circumstances a definite CAUSE is never likely to be presented. Accidents involving aeros are rarely investigated but a passenger was in this one. Past behaviour and attitudes mat add to  a "possible or likely" cause.. Nev