Doomed plane was ‘rotating like a corkscrew’ before it crashed in a paddock killing a grandfather and his three grandkids, new report reveals
Information is coming to light about a fatal plane crash that killed a man and three of his grandchildren near Canberra airport earlier this year.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau's preliminary report into the October 6 disaster found the five-seat Cirrus aircraft had little or no power when it hit the ground in a pasture near Gundaroo, north of Queanbeyan.
A number of spectators below the aircraft heard a 'rough running or howling' engine and saw the aircraft descending rapidly at low altitude and with the nose 'rotating like a corkscrew'.
Peter Nally, 65, piloted the plane with grandchildren aged 11, nine and six on board.
The five-seat Cirrus aircraft 'twisted like a corkscrew' before hitting the ground in a field at Gundaroo, north of Queanbeyan, on October 6.
The report found he had held his license since 1985 and had accumulated 800 hours of flying experience, having only completed an official flight assessment in August.
ATSB director of transport safety Kerri Hughes said the plane “abruptly departed from controlled flight” 12 minutes after taking off from Canberra.
“Impact marks and the distribution of wreckage at the accident site indicated that the aircraft impacted upright terrain, at a slightly low nose attitude and with little forward motion, indicating a spin,” she said in a statement.
“The major components of the aircraft's parachute system were all located in the wreckage, but based on the available evidence, the ATSB was unable to determine whether the pilot had attempted to deploy the parachute system prior to impact.”
Three older children Raphael, Evita and Philomena (photo with parents Elyse and Dave Smith) died together with their grandfather Peter in the light plane crash
The preliminary report did not attempt to analyze the crash, but rather focused on the factual information the agency had found so far.
'As the investigation continues, the ATSB will continue to assess the recovered components, review pilot and operator documentation and pilot medical information, and analyze aircraft performance based on flight data and meteorological information Hughes said.
“However, if at any time we identify a critical safety issue, we will immediately alert the relevant parties so that they can take safety actions.”
The aircraft crashed in an open field next to a dam on a private property and was destroyed in a post-impact fire.