In Far North Queensland, the last few seconds of a flight were “unexceptional and quite normal” before the plane crashed into a sand dune, killing all five passengers inside.
On March 11, 2020, the Cessna 404 crashed on approach at the Lockhart River airport, killing the pilot Stuart Weavell, 36, contractor Mark Rawlings, 49, and QBuild employees Wayne Ganter, 63, Henry Roebig, 62, and Wayne Brischke, 57.
Coroner Nerida Wilson is conducting a five-day inquiry into the disaster in Cairns, where she will look at the pilot’s training and background.
The court was informed that Weavell had previously led this trip a number of times.
The five men had flown that day from Cairns, and on a second attempt at a landing in limited visibility, a crash occurred.
The coroner opened the inquiry on Monday by saying, “I’m acutely aware of the fact that it has been three years.”
“Having served as the coroner in this area for a number of years, I am fully aware of the immense grief this disaster has brought about for the families as well as the community of Lockhart River, which has now seen two tragedies as a result of plane crashes.
So let’s try to find some significance together. Although I am unable to do so, I fervently hope that we can.
Nine bodies have been removed from a flooded road tunnel.
Wilson will also look into the flight’s circumstances, the pilot’s training, the operator Air Connect Australia’s safety protocols, the organization’s stance on terrain avoidance warning devices, and how mishaps of this nature might be prevented.
The pilot’s final transmissions between 9.07am and the time of impact at 9.20am, according to the attorney assisting Ian Harvey, were routine.
“The flight was affected by inclement weather with areas of cloud and rain significantly reducing visibility for a pilot seeking to land at Lockhart River aerodrome that morning,” Harvey stated.
The pilot made many announcements, all of which were quite reasonable, routine, and acceptable for a pilot to make at that particular intersection.
Harvey detailed a controlled continuation of the tragic flight.
“The aircraft impacted the sand dunes shortly before 9.20 that morning, all on board were fatally injured, and due to the impact forces, the accident was not survivable.”
According to Harvey, the inquest would hear testimony from other pilots and investigators with the goal of preventing future catastrophes.
According to an Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) inquiry, the plane was being flown at a height that was roughly 1000 feet below ideal just before it crashed.
In addition, it was moving at a speed “inappropriate” for the position at the time of impact: 150 knots, or 280 km/h.
The pilot, however, had faced controversy
There was no indication that there were any mechanical issues prior to the accident until the time of collision.
The ATSB discovered that the pilot attempted a solo landing in extremely low visibility without likely checking the height of the Cessna.
The ATSB concluded that, “Overall, misreading the altimeter by 1000 feet appears to be the most likely scenario, though there was not enough information to draw a firm conclusion.”
According to the ATSB, their investigation demonstrated the value of terrain avoidance and warning systems in assisting pilots in low visibility.
15 persons were murdered in 2005 when a Metroliner flight from Bamaga to Cairns crashed into a mountain near Lockhart River.
