On the afternoon of 2 December 2009, while being operated on an approach to a private airstrip near Boorowa, NSW, a 'Taylor Monoplane' ultralight aircraft, registered 28-3506, collided with terrain after striking power lines. The pilot, who was the sole occupant of the aircraft, was fatally injured.
On 6 December 2009, a 'Pipstrel Spider' microlight aircraft, registered 32-4391, being operated on a private flight with two persons on-board, collided with terrain during a local flight near Yarrawonga, Vic. Both occupants sustained fatal injuries.
Recreational Aviation Australia Inc (RA-Aus) is assisting the NSW & Vic. police (respectively) in their investigations of these accidents. Recreational Aviation Australia Inc (RA-Aus) requested assistance from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) in the recovery of information from portable Global Positioning System (GPS) units recovered from both accident sites.
To protect the information supplied by RA-Aus to the ATSB and investigative work undertaken to assist RA-Aus, the ATSB initiated an investigation under the Transport Safety Investigation Act 2003 (TSI Act). The ATSB completed its recovery of data from the Lowrance® Airmap 500 portable GPS receiver (serial No: 50086640) and the Garmin® GPS Map 296 portable GPS receiver (serial No: 10D003804), and provided the data to RA-Aus in the interests of transport safety, under the provisions of section 61 of the TSI Act.
Contact details for RA-Aus are at Website: www.raa.asn.au
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Released in accordance with section 25 of the Transport Safety Investigation Act 2003.