Plane defect 'not mentioned' minutes before fatal crash
The Advertiser19-06-2025
A firefighting plane that crashed and killed three people in outback Queensland had a "long-term intermittent defect" which affected cabin pressure, an investigation has found.
And a phone call made minutes before the tragedy was a "missed opportunity" to save their lives.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau released a report on Thursday into the crash of the twin-engine charter plane.
The aircraft was conducting aerial fire surveillance operations for bushfires in Queensland's northwest on November 4, 2024.
There were radio communication issues with the pilot, indicating he was suffering from a lack of oxygen in the body known as hypoxia, before the plane crashed near Cloncurry, the bureau said in the report.
A pilot and two camera operators, including 22-year-old American William Jennings, were on board the plane, operated by AGAIR, which specialises in aerial firefighting and agricultural services.
The bureau found the aircraft had a long-term intermittent defect with the pressurisation system that reduced the maximum attainable cabin pressure.
Senior AGAIR management had tried to rectify the defect, but did not formally record it, communicate it to the safety manager, undertake a formal risk assessment of the issue, or provide explicit procedures to pilots for managing it.
"Instead, AGAIR management personnel participated in and encouraged the practice of continuing operations in the aircraft at a cabin altitude that required the use of oxygen, without access to a suitable oxygen supply," the bureau said.
About 37 minutes before the crash, the Airservices Australia air traffic management director and shift manager spoke to AGAIR's head of flying operations by phone to advise that it had lost radio communications with the plane for an extended period.
During the six-minute call, the AGAIR head was advised the pilot had exhibited symptoms of hypoxia, and air traffic control had initiated 'oxygen' radio calls.
The AGAIR head was also informed traffic control had regained direct communication with the pilot and no longer had concerns for the aircraft.
"At no point during the telephone conversation did the HOFO (head of flying operations) advise ... that the aircraft had a known intermittent pressurisation defect as it did not occur to them to do so," the report said.
"The telephone conversation to AGAIR was a missed opportunity to communicate critical safety information about the aircraft, that was directly relevant to the conversation, at a time when ATC (air traffic control) could have taken further action to instruct the pilot to descend to a safe altitude."
The safety bureau has recommended AGAIR seek an independent review of their organisational structure and oversight of operational activities.
"This accident highlights the dangers of operational practices that intentionally circumvent critical safety defences," the report said.
"The acceptance of these actions at an individual and organisational level normalises that behaviour and exposes the operation to an unnecessarily increased level of risk."
AGAIR has been contacted for comment.
A firefighting plane that crashed and killed three people in outback Queensland had a "long-term intermittent defect" which affected cabin pressure, an investigation has found.
And a phone call made minutes before the tragedy was a "missed opportunity" to save their lives.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau released a report on Thursday into the crash of the twin-engine charter plane.
The aircraft was conducting aerial fire surveillance operations for bushfires in Queensland's northwest on November 4, 2024.
There were radio communication issues with the pilot, indicating he was suffering from a lack of oxygen in the body known as hypoxia, before the plane crashed near Cloncurry, the bureau said in the report.
A pilot and two camera operators, including 22-year-old American William Jennings, were on board the plane, operated by AGAIR, which specialises in aerial firefighting and agricultural services.
The bureau found the aircraft had a long-term intermittent defect with the pressurisation system that reduced the maximum attainable cabin pressure.
Senior AGAIR management had tried to rectify the defect, but did not formally record it, communicate it to the safety manager, undertake a formal risk assessment of the issue, or provide explicit procedures to pilots for managing it.
"Instead, AGAIR management personnel participated in and encouraged the practice of continuing operations in the aircraft at a cabin altitude that required the use of oxygen, without access to a suitable oxygen supply," the bureau said.
About 37 minutes before the crash, the Airservices Australia air traffic management director and shift manager spoke to AGAIR's head of flying operations by phone to advise that it had lost radio communications with the plane for an extended period.
During the six-minute call, the AGAIR head was advised the pilot had exhibited symptoms of hypoxia, and air traffic control had initiated 'oxygen' radio calls.
The AGAIR head was also informed traffic control had regained direct communication with the pilot and no longer had concerns for the aircraft.
"At no point during the telephone conversation did the HOFO (head of flying operations) advise ... that the aircraft had a known intermittent pressurisation defect as it did not occur to them to do so," the report said.
"The telephone conversation to AGAIR was a missed opportunity to communicate critical safety information about the aircraft, that was directly relevant to the conversation, at a time when ATC (air traffic control) could have taken further action to instruct the pilot to descend to a safe altitude."
The safety bureau has recommended AGAIR seek an independent review of their organisational structure and oversight of operational activities.
"This accident highlights the dangers of operational practices that intentionally circumvent critical safety defences," the report said.
"The acceptance of these actions at an individual and organisational level normalises that behaviour and exposes the operation to an unnecessarily increased level of risk."
AGAIR has been contacted for comment.
A firefighting plane that crashed and killed three people in outback Queensland had a "long-term intermittent defect" which affected cabin pressure, an investigation has found.
And a phone call made minutes before the tragedy was a "missed opportunity" to save their lives.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau released a report on Thursday into the crash of the twin-engine charter plane.
The aircraft was conducting aerial fire surveillance operations for bushfires in Queensland's northwest on November 4, 2024.
There were radio communication issues with the pilot, indicating he was suffering from a lack of oxygen in the body known as hypoxia, before the plane crashed near Cloncurry, the bureau said in the report.
A pilot and two camera operators, including 22-year-old American William Jennings, were on board the plane, operated by AGAIR, which specialises in aerial firefighting and agricultural services.
The bureau found the aircraft had a long-term intermittent defect with the pressurisation system that reduced the maximum attainable cabin pressure.
Senior AGAIR management had tried to rectify the defect, but did not formally record it, communicate it to the safety manager, undertake a formal risk assessment of the issue, or provide explicit procedures to pilots for managing it.
"Instead, AGAIR management personnel participated in and encouraged the practice of continuing operations in the aircraft at a cabin altitude that required the use of oxygen, without access to a suitable oxygen supply," the bureau said.
About 37 minutes before the crash, the Airservices Australia air traffic management director and shift manager spoke to AGAIR's head of flying operations by phone to advise that it had lost radio communications with the plane for an extended period.
During the six-minute call, the AGAIR head was advised the pilot had exhibited symptoms of hypoxia, and air traffic control had initiated 'oxygen' radio calls.
The AGAIR head was also informed traffic control had regained direct communication with the pilot and no longer had concerns for the aircraft.
"At no point during the telephone conversation did the HOFO (head of flying operations) advise ... that the aircraft had a known intermittent pressurisation defect as it did not occur to them to do so," the report said.
"The telephone conversation to AGAIR was a missed opportunity to communicate critical safety information about the aircraft, that was directly relevant to the conversation, at a time when ATC (air traffic control) could have taken further action to instruct the pilot to descend to a safe altitude."
The safety bureau has recommended AGAIR seek an independent review of their organisational structure and oversight of operational activities.
"This accident highlights the dangers of operational practices that intentionally circumvent critical safety defences," the report said.
"The acceptance of these actions at an individual and organisational level normalises that behaviour and exposes the operation to an unnecessarily increased level of risk."
AGAIR has been contacted for comment.
A firefighting plane that crashed and killed three people in outback Queensland had a "long-term intermittent defect" which affected cabin pressure, an investigation has found.
And a phone call made minutes before the tragedy was a "missed opportunity" to save their lives.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau released a report on Thursday into the crash of the twin-engine charter plane.
The aircraft was conducting aerial fire surveillance operations for bushfires in Queensland's northwest on November 4, 2024.
There were radio communication issues with the pilot, indicating he was suffering from a lack of oxygen in the body known as hypoxia, before the plane crashed near Cloncurry, the bureau said in the report.
A pilot and two camera operators, including 22-year-old American William Jennings, were on board the plane, operated by AGAIR, which specialises in aerial firefighting and agricultural services.
The bureau found the aircraft had a long-term intermittent defect with the pressurisation system that reduced the maximum attainable cabin pressure.
Senior AGAIR management had tried to rectify the defect, but did not formally record it, communicate it to the safety manager, undertake a formal risk assessment of the issue, or provide explicit procedures to pilots for managing it.
"Instead, AGAIR management personnel participated in and encouraged the practice of continuing operations in the aircraft at a cabin altitude that required the use of oxygen, without access to a suitable oxygen supply," the bureau said.
About 37 minutes before the crash, the Airservices Australia air traffic management director and shift manager spoke to AGAIR's head of flying operations by phone to advise that it had lost radio communications with the plane for an extended period.
During the six-minute call, the AGAIR head was advised the pilot had exhibited symptoms of hypoxia, and air traffic control had initiated 'oxygen' radio calls.
The AGAIR head was also informed traffic control had regained direct communication with the pilot and no longer had concerns for the aircraft.
"At no point during the telephone conversation did the HOFO (head of flying operations) advise ... that the aircraft had a known intermittent pressurisation defect as it did not occur to them to do so," the report said.
"The telephone conversation to AGAIR was a missed opportunity to communicate critical safety information about the aircraft, that was directly relevant to the conversation, at a time when ATC (air traffic control) could have taken further action to instruct the pilot to descend to a safe altitude."
The safety bureau has recommended AGAIR seek an independent review of their organisational structure and oversight of operational activities.
"This accident highlights the dangers of operational practices that intentionally circumvent critical safety defences," the report said.
"The acceptance of these actions at an individual and organisational level normalises that behaviour and exposes the operation to an unnecessarily increased level of risk."
AGAIR has been contacted for comment.
And a phone call made minutes before the tragedy was a "missed opportunity" to save their lives.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau released a report on Thursday into the crash of the twin-engine charter plane.
The aircraft was conducting aerial fire surveillance operations for bushfires in Queensland's northwest on November 4, 2024.
There were radio communication issues with the pilot, indicating he was suffering from a lack of oxygen in the body known as hypoxia, before the plane crashed near Cloncurry, the bureau said in the report.
A pilot and two camera operators, including 22-year-old American William Jennings, were on board the plane, operated by AGAIR, which specialises in aerial firefighting and agricultural services.
The bureau found the aircraft had a long-term intermittent defect with the pressurisation system that reduced the maximum attainable cabin pressure.
Senior AGAIR management had tried to rectify the defect, but did not formally record it, communicate it to the safety manager, undertake a formal risk assessment of the issue, or provide explicit procedures to pilots for managing it.
"Instead, AGAIR management personnel participated in and encouraged the practice of continuing operations in the aircraft at a cabin altitude that required the use of oxygen, without access to a suitable oxygen supply," the bureau said.
About 37 minutes before the crash, the Airservices Australia air traffic management director and shift manager spoke to AGAIR's head of flying operations by phone to advise that it had lost radio communications with the plane for an extended period.
During the six-minute call, the AGAIR head was advised the pilot had exhibited symptoms of hypoxia, and air traffic control had initiated 'oxygen' radio calls.
The AGAIR head was also informed traffic control had regained direct communication with the pilot and no longer had concerns for the aircraft.
"At no point during the telephone conversation did the HOFO (head of flying operations) advise ... that the aircraft had a known intermittent pressurisation defect as it did not occur to them to do so," the report said.
"The telephone conversation to AGAIR was a missed opportunity to communicate critical safety information about the aircraft, that was directly relevant to the conversation, at a time when ATC (air traffic control) could have taken further action to instruct the pilot to descend to a safe altitude."
The safety bureau has recommended AGAIR seek an independent review of their organisational structure and oversight of operational activities.
"This accident highlights the dangers of operational practices that intentionally circumvent critical safety defences," the report said.
"The acceptance of these actions at an individual and organisational level normalises that behaviour and exposes the operation to an unnecessarily increased level of risk."
AGAIR has been contacted for comment.
A firefighting plane that crashed and killed three people in outback Queensland had a "long-term intermittent defect" which affected cabin pressure, an investigation has found.
And a phone call made minutes before the tragedy was a "missed opportunity" to save their lives.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau released a report on Thursday into the crash of the twin-engine charter plane.
The aircraft was conducting aerial fire surveillance operations for bushfires in Queensland's northwest on November 4, 2024.
There were radio communication issues with the pilot, indicating he was suffering from a lack of oxygen in the body known as hypoxia, before the plane crashed near Cloncurry, the bureau said in the report.
A pilot and two camera operators, including 22-year-old American William Jennings, were on board the plane, operated by AGAIR, which specialises in aerial firefighting and agricultural services.
The bureau found the aircraft had a long-term intermittent defect with the pressurisation system that reduced the maximum attainable cabin pressure.
Senior AGAIR management had tried to rectify the defect, but did not formally record it, communicate it to the safety manager, undertake a formal risk assessment of the issue, or provide explicit procedures to pilots for managing it.
"Instead, AGAIR management personnel participated in and encouraged the practice of continuing operations in the aircraft at a cabin altitude that required the use of oxygen, without access to a suitable oxygen supply," the bureau said.
About 37 minutes before the crash, the Airservices Australia air traffic management director and shift manager spoke to AGAIR's head of flying operations by phone to advise that it had lost radio communications with the plane for an extended period.
During the six-minute call, the AGAIR head was advised the pilot had exhibited symptoms of hypoxia, and air traffic control had initiated 'oxygen' radio calls.
The AGAIR head was also informed traffic control had regained direct communication with the pilot and no longer had concerns for the aircraft.
"At no point during the telephone conversation did the HOFO (head of flying operations) advise ... that the aircraft had a known intermittent pressurisation defect as it did not occur to them to do so," the report said.
"The telephone conversation to AGAIR was a missed opportunity to communicate critical safety information about the aircraft, that was directly relevant to the conversation, at a time when ATC (air traffic control) could have taken further action to instruct the pilot to descend to a safe altitude."
The safety bureau has recommended AGAIR seek an independent review of their organisational structure and oversight of operational activities.
"This accident highlights the dangers of operational practices that intentionally circumvent critical safety defences," the report said.
"The acceptance of these actions at an individual and organisational level normalises that behaviour and exposes the operation to an unnecessarily increased level of risk."
AGAIR has been contacted for comment.
A firefighting plane that crashed and killed three people in outback Queensland had a "long-term intermittent defect" which affected cabin pressure, an investigation has found.
And a phone call made minutes before the tragedy was a "missed opportunity" to save their lives.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau released a report on Thursday into the crash of the twin-engine charter plane.
The aircraft was conducting aerial fire surveillance operations for bushfires in Queensland's northwest on November 4, 2024.
There were radio communication issues with the pilot, indicating he was suffering from a lack of oxygen in the body known as hypoxia, before the plane crashed near Cloncurry, the bureau said in the report.
A pilot and two camera operators, including 22-year-old American William Jennings, were on board the plane, operated by AGAIR, which specialises in aerial firefighting and agricultural services.
The bureau found the aircraft had a long-term intermittent defect with the pressurisation system that reduced the maximum attainable cabin pressure.
Senior AGAIR management had tried to rectify the defect, but did not formally record it, communicate it to the safety manager, undertake a formal risk assessment of the issue, or provide explicit procedures to pilots for managing it.
"Instead, AGAIR management personnel participated in and encouraged the practice of continuing operations in the aircraft at a cabin altitude that required the use of oxygen, without access to a suitable oxygen supply," the bureau said.
About 37 minutes before the crash, the Airservices Australia air traffic management director and shift manager spoke to AGAIR's head of flying operations by phone to advise that it had lost radio communications with the plane for an extended period.
During the six-minute call, the AGAIR head was advised the pilot had exhibited symptoms of hypoxia, and air traffic control had initiated 'oxygen' radio calls.
The AGAIR head was also informed traffic control had regained direct communication with the pilot and no longer had concerns for the aircraft.
"At no point during the telephone conversation did the HOFO (head of flying operations) advise ... that the aircraft had a known intermittent pressurisation defect as it did not occur to them to do so," the report said.
"The telephone conversation to AGAIR was a missed opportunity to communicate critical safety information about the aircraft, that was directly relevant to the conversation, at a time when ATC (air traffic control) could have taken further action to instruct the pilot to descend to a safe altitude."
The safety bureau has recommended AGAIR seek an independent review of their organisational structure and oversight of operational activities.
"This accident highlights the dangers of operational practices that intentionally circumvent critical safety defences," the report said.
"The acceptance of these actions at an individual and organisational level normalises that behaviour and exposes the operation to an unnecessarily increased level of risk."
AGAIR has been contacted for comment.
A firefighting plane that crashed and killed three people in outback Queensland had a "long-term intermittent defect" which affected cabin pressure, an investigation has found.
And a phone call made minutes before the tragedy was a "missed opportunity" to save their lives.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau released a report on Thursday into the crash of the twin-engine charter plane.
The aircraft was conducting aerial fire surveillance operations for bushfires in Queensland's northwest on November 4, 2024.
There were radio communication issues with the pilot, indicating he was suffering from a lack of oxygen in the body known as hypoxia, before the plane crashed near Cloncurry, the bureau said in the report.
A pilot and two camera operators, including 22-year-old American William Jennings, were on board the plane, operated by AGAIR, which specialises in aerial firefighting and agricultural services.
The bureau found the aircraft had a long-term intermittent defect with the pressurisation system that reduced the maximum attainable cabin pressure.
Senior AGAIR management had tried to rectify the defect, but did not formally record it, communicate it to the safety manager, undertake a formal risk assessment of the issue, or provide explicit procedures to pilots for managing it.
"Instead, AGAIR management personnel participated in and encouraged the practice of continuing operations in the aircraft at a cabin altitude that required the use of oxygen, without access to a suitable oxygen supply," the bureau said.
About 37 minutes before the crash, the Airservices Australia air traffic management director and shift manager spoke to AGAIR's head of flying operations by phone to advise that it had lost radio communications with the plane for an extended period.
During the six-minute call, the AGAIR head was advised the pilot had exhibited symptoms of hypoxia, and air traffic control had initiated 'oxygen' radio calls.
The AGAIR head was also informed traffic control had regained direct communication with the pilot and no longer had concerns for the aircraft.
"At no point during the telephone conversation did the HOFO (head of flying operations) advise ... that the aircraft had a known intermittent pressurisation defect as it did not occur to them to do so," the report said.
"The telephone conversation to AGAIR was a missed opportunity to communicate critical safety information about the aircraft, that was directly relevant to the conversation, at a time when ATC (air traffic control) could have taken further action to instruct the pilot to descend to a safe altitude."
The safety bureau has recommended AGAIR seek an independent review of their organisational structure and oversight of operational activities.
"This accident highlights the dangers of operational practices that intentionally circumvent critical safety defences," the report said.
"The acceptance of these actions at an individual and organisational level normalises that behaviour and exposes the operation to an unnecessarily increased level of risk."
AGAIR has been contacted for comment.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Perth Now
7 days ago
- Perth Now
Maple bourbon imperial stout just what the doctor ordered
Canuckle Puck maple bourbon imperial stout Campus Brewing There's no denying it — we are deep in the depths of winter here in Perth. It pours a rich, dark hue with a brown, foamy head. Credit: PerthNow And around this time of year, there are some certainties in life — cold nights, wet days and plenty of squabbling in the PerthNow comments section about the reliability of the Bureau of Meteorology. Another certainty is a steady stream of seasonal stout releases from our amazing West Australian breweries. Canning Vale legends Campus Brewing have just dropped one that's well worth a crack. The Canuckle Puck maple bourbon imperial stout is an offshoot of Campus' seasonal Nuckle Puck imperial stout. When you first crack the tinnie, you'll notice the maple aroma up front with the bourbon lingering in the background. It pours a rich, dark hue with a brown, foamy head. The first thing you taste when you take a sip is that maple flavour, which comes from real Canadian maple syrup but stops short of being too sugary. The beer is conditioned on American bourbon oak to give it a richness and warmth that combine with the maple and stout flavours (chocolate espresso, a touch of vanilla) to make one hell of a winter tinnie. Be warned though, it's an imperial stout (12.8 per cent ABV and 65 IBU) that punches at almost four standard drinks per 375ml can. It's like lighting a warm, crackling fire in the pit of your belly. Just make sure you don't fill your belly with too many at once. $37 for a four-pack.
West Australian
23-07-2025
- West Australian
New laws to allow American submariners to live in Defence Housing properties near Rockingham
The West Australian exclusive New laws to allow American submariners to live in Defence Housing properties near Rockingham
Sydney Morning Herald
22-07-2025
- Sydney Morning Herald
How the proposed flight path changes will affect your suburb
Airservices Australia has released a proposal for changes to flight paths to and from Brisbane Airport to reduce the impacts of aircraft noise on Brisbane's suburbs. The flight path options, which are open for community feedback until August 17, include distributing flights more evenly over a wider area and reducing the concentration of flights over suburbs already being flooded with both arrival and departure, and day and night flights. The Noise Action Plan for Brisbane was developed to address complaints following the introduction of Brisbane Airport's parallel runway in July 2020. But the Brisbane Flight Path Community Alliance has criticised the latest proposal, warning it would result in more communities being exposed to aircraft noise, many for the first time. Alliance spokesperson Marcus Foth said the proposal did not offer a real solution, with 'no night-time curfew, no flight cap, and no credible plan for genuine net noise reductions'. Here is what the proposed flight path changes would mean for your area: North and west With both arrivals and departures tracking over similar areas, there are many communities to the north-west of the Brisbane Airport that do not experience periods of respite, even when wind conditions change.
