The commercial pilot had hired a privately owned Cessna 210 for
a flight to Killiecrankie on Flinders Island with two family
members and two friends. After arriving overhead, the aircraft was
positioned on downwind for a downhill landing on strip 27 at
Killiecrankie. The pilot commented that there appeared to be no
wind, which he determined from the windsock and the conditions
prevailing on the ground, from the water in the bay and the
stillness of the trees. A pilot on the ground, who is the owner of
and responsible for the airfield maintenance and who witnessed the
accident, reported that the wind was easterly at about 15 knots at
tree top height, although probably less on the ground. The witness
said that the sock was damaged, but it was still possible to
determine the wind direction from environmental cues.
A passenger on the aircraft reported that he did not detect any
indications of strong wind on the surface of the water or
significant movement of the trees or foliage as the aircraft
approached the threshold of the strip.
The pilot reported that on late downwind he configured the
aircraft for landing with the first stage of flap and landing gear
extended and turned the aircraft onto the final approach at
approximately 800 ft above ground level. Although this was higher
than normal for a turn onto final, he considered it to be okay.
Full flap was lowered and the power reduced for landing.
As the aircraft neared touchdown well down the strip, the pilot
considered it to be a late landing but still with sufficient length
remaining for braking. The aircraft touched down and bounced twice
into the air before the pilot applied power for the go-around. The
witness reported that the aircraft initially touched down about two
thirds of the way along the 1,400 metre strip before bouncing and
then going around.
The pilot reported that although he applied full power, the
aircraft did not accelerate to take off speed and did not gain
sufficient height to clear the trees beyond the end of the strip.
The passenger reported that as the aircraft approached the end of
the strip during the go-around, it appeared to dip slightly as if
affected by a gust of wind. The aircraft impacted the trees in a
nose-up, wings-level attitude at full power, before the pilot
reduced the power to idle. The fuselage remained upright during the
impact sequence.
While the evacuation was taking place the aircraft began to burn
and as the last passenger was exiting, the aircraft was almost
totally engulfed in flames. All passengers evacuated through the
main doors. The post-impact fire destroyed the aircraft. The pilot
reported that prior to the flight he had thoroughly briefed the
passengers on the emergency exits and the evacuation procedure.
The pilot later commented that he felt that the following
factors contributed to the accident:
- Although he had landed at Killiecrankie before and was aware of
the downhill slope to the west, it was about 12 months prior to the
accident. - The damaged windsock did not display the wind strength as
accurately as an undamaged windsock would have. - He unwittingly initiated a tailwind go-around with insufficient
strip remaining.