Redesdale, Aviation accident and incident

Introduction

On 25 September 2009, a Piper PA-34-200T Seneca II aircraft, registered VH-NGA, was involved in an accident near Redesdale, Victoria. The aircraft was operating a charter flight from Moorabbin Airport, Victoria, to King Island, Tasmania, with two pilots and five passengers on board.

The aircraft departed Moorabbin Airport at about 09:00 and climbed to its assigned cruising level of 10,000 ft. At about 10:30, the aircraft entered a cloud layer and began to experience icing conditions. The pilots reported that the aircraft's windshield and wings were icing up, and that they were having difficulty maintaining altitude.

Accident

At about 10:45, the aircraft's right wing struck the ground near Redesdale, killing all seven people on board.

The wreckage of the aircraft was located in a heavily wooded area, and it took several days for recovery teams to reach the site.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) investigated the accident and found that the probable cause was the pilots' loss of control of the aircraft due to ice accretion on the aircraft's wings and windshield.

Contributing Factors

The ATSB also found that the following factors contributed to the accident:

• The pilots' lack of experience in flying in icing conditions
• The aircraft's lack of anti-icing equipment
• The weather conditions at the time of the accident

Recommendations

The ATSB made a number of recommendations to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) and the aircraft's operator, including:

• Requiring all pilots to receive training in flying in icing conditions
• Requiring all aircraft to be equipped with anti-icing equipment
• Improving the weather forecasting and reporting system for aviation

Conclusion

The Redesdale aviation accident was a tragic event that resulted in the loss of seven lives.

The ATSB's investigation found that the accident was caused by a combination of factors, including the pilots' lack of experience in flying in icing conditions, the aircraft's lack of anti-icing equipment, and the weather conditions at the time of the accident.

The ATSB's recommendations are aimed at preventing similar accidents from happening in the future.