Australia’s air safety authority has revealed that a light plane pilot who died in a crash in Western Australia’s Midwest had been unwell prior to the flight.
The man, in his 60s, was flying a Cessna 150M when it crashed in bushland near Ogilvie, around 500 kilometres north of Perth, on March 21. He was travelling from Geraldton to Shark Bay.
A driver discovered the wreckage around 11:15am, a little over an hour after the plane took off, and alerted authorities.
No post-impact fire
According to a preliminary report released Wednesday by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), the aircraft hit the ground at high speed. There was no fire after the impact.
Concerns about pilot’s health
Witnesses at Geraldton Airport told investigators the pilot appeared unwell before takeoff and had recently been experiencing severe gastroenteritis. However, there were no signs of speech difficulties or physical impairment.
“The ATSB is continuing to investigate the pilot’s full medical history and will include post-mortem findings,” said Commissioner Angus Mitchell.
The investigation will also examine CCTV footage, radio communications, aircraft and pilot records, maintenance history, and evidence from the crash scene.
Pilot reported high oil temperature
About 18 minutes into the flight, the pilot sent a photo to a staff member at a Geraldton-based maintenance organisation, commenting on a “slightly higher than usual oil temperature.”
“The pilot’s message was positive regarding how the plane was performing,” Mitchell said.
The oil temperature in the image was close to the upper limit of the normal operating range but remained under the 240°F maximum threshold. In response, the technician suggested they could consider installing oil coolers to help manage the issue.
Investigators are also attempting to retrieve data from a damaged GPS device found at the scene.
A final report including safety analysis and official findings will be released at the conclusion of the investigation.
“If a serious safety concern is discovered before then, the ATSB will immediately notify the appropriate parties,” Mitchell added.
