A Royal Australian Air Force Pilatus PC-9/A trainer crashed yesterday afternoon at RAAF Base East Sale in Victoria after a suspected engine failure.
At approximately 1515 yesterday afternoon RAAF flying instructor Squadron Leader Bruce Collenette, 45, and instructor trainee Flight Lieutenant Steve Andrews, 28, were undertaking a routine training flight when their engine suddenly cut out.
On climb out of the airfield, the aircraft lost power approximately nine
kilometres from the airfield and turned back towards East Sale. Power
could not be restored to the engine, so the crew followed the engine
shutdown procedures checklist. They did not have sufficient glide
potential to reach the runway and chose to eject from the aircraft in accordance with well-practiced RAAF emergency response procedures. The aircraft crashed on the edge of RAAF Base East Sale about one kilometre short of one of the runways.
Following a swift search and rescue response by base emergency personnel, both pilots were assessed by medics at the scene as being stable but were kept at hospital overnight for X-rays and precautionary observation. They're both said to be in good spirits, but Flight Lieutenant Andrews has been
transferred to Melbourne for further testing and specialist care.
An Aviation Accident Investigation Team is today onsite at RAAF Base East Sale commencing an investigation into the incident.
As a precaution, all RAAF PC-9/A flying operations, including the RAAF Roulettes aerobatic team, have been temporarily suspended while the cause of the incident is investigated.
As was widely reported in the lead-up to the event, the RAAF Roulettes were almost ruled out of performing at the Australian International Airshow at Avalon Airport in early March because of an engine problem that had grounded the entire RAAF PC-9/A fleet in February. They borrowed aircraft from another unit and received approval to perform their aerobatics routine, but this latest incident raises more questions about the PC-9/A engines.