Australia’s air safety authority has determined that a pilot’s poor fuel management and multiple maintenance lapses contributed to a light aircraft’s emergency landing on a highway in northern Western Australia.
The Cessna 310, operated by Broome Aviation, was flying from Warmun—located 600 kilometers east of Derby—toward Derby, 2,200 kilometers north of Perth, when it made a hard landing on the Derby Highway, just 5 kilometers from the town’s airport.
Motorists nearby were forced to swerve to avoid the descending plane and quickly stopped to provide first aid to the pilot, who was seriously injured, and a passenger, who escaped harm.
The pilot was later airlifted to a Perth hospital, having suffered extensive facial fractures from impact with the dashboard. Investigators noted the pilot had not been wearing an upper-torso restraint.
Angus Mitchell, Chief Commissioner of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), called it a “complex investigation.”
“We identified issues in pilot training and experience, but more concerning was the discovery of internal pressures discouraging the reporting of maintenance problems,” Mitchell said.
‘Oppressive culture’
The ATSB broadened its investigation after learning other Broome Aviation pilots had flagged concerns regarding maintenance practices, safety standards, and a “suppressive culture.”
“We uncovered several maintenance deficiencies,” Mitchell added, “including instances where defects were not recorded on official maintenance logs.”
He also highlighted that pilots felt compelled to continue flying aircraft they believed were not airworthy.
The investigation further found that the aircraft’s fuel gauges were inaccurate and that fuel distribution among tanks was miscalculated, resulting in inconsistencies.
Broome Aviation’s operations manual lacked standardized procedures for tracking fuel usage during flights, leaving pilots to rely on inconsistent personal methods.
“All the fundamental safety protocols that should have been in place simply weren’t,” Mitchell said.
He confirmed that Broome Aviation has since taken corrective actions in response to the ATSB’s findings and has revised its procedures.
The company has been contacted for a statement.
