Crash Just Minutes Before Landing
Illawarra Mercury
Wednesday June 28, 2000
The Whyalla Airlines plane which crashed in South Australia last month killing all eight people on board was just minutes from landing when the pilot reported engine failure, a preliminary report revealed yesterday.
However, the report, from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), gave no information on what might have caused the disaster.
The report said the pilot, Ben Mackiewicz, 21, had estimated his landing time in Whyalla at 7.08pm on May 31.
But at 7.01pm Mr Mackiewicz issued a mayday call reporting double engine failure and said he was going to have to ditch in Spencer Gulf.
``He reported that his position was about 15 nautical miles off the Whyalla coast and requested help be sent and for the company to be advised," the report said.
``(Adelaide) Flight Service subsequently asked if the aircraft was continuing to track straight to Whyalla, or heading for the coast.
``The pilot advised he was heading straight for Whyalla."
The ATSB said radar contact with the Piper Chieftain had been lost about a minute before the mayday call and at that stage the plane was on descent at 4260 feet.
At 7.03pm Adelaide Flight Service requested the pilot of a nearby Pilatus PC-12 aircraft to divert to the stricken aircraft's position.
A minute later Mr Mackiewicz reported he was 15 nautical miles from Whyalla and was advised that if he lost radio contact he could transmit through the Pilatus pilot who was on the same frequency.
His acknowledgment to that transmission was the last recorded radio contact with the Whyalla Airlines plane.
Early next day a search and rescue operation found two bodies. The plane and five more bodies were not found until June 5 in 20m of water.
One man remained missing and the search for his body involving State Emergency Service volunteers was still under way this week.
The wreckage of the plane was salvaged from Spencer Gulf and brought to Adelaide for detailed examination.
Despite the release of the factual details of the Whyalla Airlines crash, the ATSB report did not give any information as to the possible cause of the engine failure.
A spokesman said it would probably be another month before the bureau had a good idea of what might have gone wrong, although that information might not be made public for six months or more.
In other details the ATSB said the flight was planned to track to Whyalla via airway W315 at an altitude of 6000 feet.
The weather forecast along the route predicted areas of stratus, stratocumulus and cumulus cloud from 800 feet to 6000 feet, with visibility reducing to 4000m in associated drizzle and 6000m in showers.
Turbulence was forecast to be light to moderate. The freezing level was 6000 feet and no icing was predicted.
The plane left Adelaide at 6.23pm and after take-off the pilot contacted the Adelaide approach radar controller who vectored the aircraft a short distance to the west of Adelaide for traffic avoidance purposes.
The plane was then cleared to track direct to Whyalla at 6000 feet.
© 2000 Illawarra Mercury
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