The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has determined that a Piper PA-25 Pawnee that crashed on spreading operations last year was likely over weight.
Pawnee VH-SEH collided with trees near Seaview in Victoria in February 2022, after taking off from a short runway. The pilot was killed in the crash.
According to the ATSB report released this month, the aircraft was most likely at a weight that didn't guarantee enough performance for safe operations, and that the pilot had not used the strip for two years, during which time trees on the take-off path had grown significantly.
“The pilot was taking off for the first run of the day, so had almost full fuel on board,” ATSB Director Transport Safety Dr Michael Walker said.
“While the amount of fertiliser on board could not be determined, it was likely the aircraft’s weight exceeded the performance-limited maximum take-off weight for the strip, as well as the aircraft’s documented maximum take-off weight.”
During the investigation, the loader driver told the ATSB that when they arrived at the aircraft the pilot had already filled the loader bucket with superphosphate, so the driver was unable to say how much was loaded into the aircraft. ATSB investigators were able to estimate that the take-off weight was 1400-1544 kg. The Pawnee had an MTOW of 1315 kg.
Investigators also found that the engine performance could have been below standard during take-off, although they were unable to determine the cause. Nor could they ascertain why the pilot chose to take-off over trees when there was an alternative path that would have avoided the trees.
"Aircraft operators and pilots should remind themselves of the hazards associated with operations from small landing areas that are not prepared as permanent runways,” Dr Walker said.
“In any case, pilots should ensure aircraft loads are within specified limits, appropriate for the environmental conditions, and will result in the required performance to maintain safety margins.”
The full investigation report is on the ATSB website.