The pilot with two passengers was conducting a private flight in
a Piper Archer from Merimbula to Bathurst, to be carried out in
accordance with the visual flight rules (VFR). The intended route
was coastal to Wollongong and then direct to Bathurst. The latter
part of the route passed over the Oberon area where the elevation
of terrain was between 3,300 and 5,000 ft.
At about 0900 EST the pilot telephoned a relative near Katoomba
to obtain an appreciation of the weather in the area. He was told
the conditions were overcast but clear. About 20 minutes later the
relative tried unsuccessfully to contact him to advise that light
rain had begun falling.
The pilot and his passengers arrived at Merimbula airport at
approximately 0930. He asked the locally based flying instructor
for weather details and was shown a facsimile copy of the current
Area 21 forecast, obtained at 0911 from the AVFAX briefing
facility. At the pilot's request the instructor obtained terminal
area forecasts (TAFs) for Wollongong, Bankstown and Bathurst from
the AVFAX briefing facility at 0957. The Area 21 forecast, which
was valid for the period 0900 to 2100, indicated that visual
meteorological conditions could be expected along the planned
route, with areas of rain and showers extending east across the
forecast area. Isolated thunderstorms were also expected to develop
over the ranges along the planned track, and to slowly extend east
after 1300. Conditions at Mt Victoria, south-east of Bathurst,
would be suitable for visual flight until 1400. The Bathurst TAF,
issued at 0410 and valid from 0600 to 1800, forecast visual
meteorological conditions to exist throughout that period.
The pilot did not seek any further weather information from the
instructor and did not submit flight details. He was later seen
refuelling and preparing the aircraft for flight. At 1028 the pilot
advised flight service of his departure from Merimbula. That was
the only recorded communication between the pilot and flight
service.
At approximately 1230 witnesses south of Oberon reported seeing
an aircraft flying very low and at times circling. They reported
that it occasionally entered patches of low cloud and disappeared
from view behind higher terrain. Some of the witnesses reported the
engine sounded as if it was revving and cutting. Witnesses in the
area to the south and west of Oberon subsequently reported several
similar sightings of the aircraft at about that time. At 1256
witnesses on a property 9 Km west-north-west of Oberon reported
hearing an aircraft overhead. They could not see the aircraft
because of fog and mist but heard it circle their house twice. The
engine noise increased followed by the distinct sound of an impact.
They subsequently found the wreckage of an aircraft approximately
250 metres west of the house. The occupants of the aircraft were
fatally injured.
The aircraft had collided with grass-covered sloping terrain at
an elevation of 3,300 ft. Examination of the accident site and
wreckage determined the aircraft had been descending in a left wing
low attitude under high power and at high speed. No defect that may
have contributed to the accident was found in either the aircraft
or its systems.
An amended Bathurst TAF issued at 1018 forecast significantly
deteriorating conditions after 1100. Unlike the earlier forecast,
it indicated that from 1100 visual meteorological conditions in the
Bathurst area would have been marginal and at times non-existent.
Similar conditions were confirmed by witness accounts of weather in
the Oberon area at the time of the accident, and by a later
analysis of data by the Bureau of Meteorology. Conditions depicted
by the Sydney weather radar at 1300 included an area of high
intensity rainfall south of Oberon.
The pilot held a Private Pilot Licence and a valid Class 2
medical certificate. He had undertaken navigation training between
February and June 1998. His instructor reported that the navigation
training had been undertaken in mostly ideal weather and he had not
been able to demonstrate flight in marginal weather. The pilot had,
as part of his training, received 3.3 hours instrument flight
instruction but was not qualified to fly in instrument
meteorological conditions. He had not recorded any further
instrument flight training since his licence test in June 1998.
Subsequently, the pilot undertook training in the Piper Archer.
He had been shown the operation of the aircraft equipment including
the use of the global positioning system (GPS) to assist
navigation. Since gaining his private licence qualification the
pilot had made three extensive interstate flights. The instructor
reported the pilot was cautious about the weather and if the
forecast was doubtful he would contact an instructor for advice.
Apparently, on at least one occasion, when the weather was
unfavourable, he had terminated the flight short of his
destination. The pilot hired the aircraft for three days and was
not expected to return from Merimbula until the day after the
accident.
