Crash that killed young pilot caused by low-speed stall in gusty winds: ATSB

News.com.au

10-07-2025

A fatal stall just 150 feet above the ground claimed the life of a young Victorian pilot last year, with investigators now confirming wind gusts and low airspeed left him no chance to recover.
The tragic incident occurred on the morning of October 22, 2024, as Jack Miller, 20, attempted a private flight from Bacchus Marsh Aerodrome to Lethbridge in Victoria.
A new Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) investigation has found that Mr Miller was flying a Cessna 150 when the aircraft stalled shortly after takeoff in strong, gusty winds at Bacchus Marsh, northwest of Melbourne, fatally injuring the young pilot.
According to the ATSB final report released on Thursday, Mr Miller initially rejected a first takeoff attempt from runway 27 and broadcast this over the common traffic advisory frequency but gave no reason for the decision.
Shortly afterwards, he returned to the end of the same runway and initiated a second takeoff.
After becoming airborne, the aircraft climbed to about 150 feet before pitching steeply nose-up.
Witnesses then saw the nose and left wing drop as the aircraft entered a vertical descent and crashed into a paddock beside the airfield. The aircraft was destroyed on impact and Mr Miller, who was the sole occupant, died at the scene.
The investigation did not find any mechanical issues with the aircraft or evidence of pilot incapacitation. Instead, the ATSB concluded the Cessna was likely too slow on takeoff for the prevailing wind conditions, and control inputs to counteract the crosswind probably increased the angle of attack on the left wing.
'These factors, combined with the wind conditions, increased the risk of a quick and unrecoverable stall,' ATSB chief commissioner Angus Mitchell said.
'The stall occurred too close to the ground for the aircraft to be recovered from.'
Mr Mitchell said while aerodynamic stalls could happen at any altitude or airspeed, they were most hazardous during takeoff and landing.
'When gusting conditions are present, pilots should consider waiting for more benign conditions,' he said.
'Guidance advises pilots to conduct their own testing in progressively higher winds to determine both their own capability and that of the aircraft.
'If pilots judge weather to be suitable, they should consider climbing out at a higher airspeed to provide a buffer above their aircraft's stall speed for detection and correction of an impending stall.'
The report highlighted that Mr Miller had more than 180 hours of flight experience, including just less than four hours in the Cessna 150, and had recently joined the Bacchus Marsh Aero Club.
Weather on the day was estimated to include winds of 10 knots gusting up to 30 knots, with strong crosswind components likely present at takeoff.
The ATSB said the accident underscored the importance of maintaining adequate airspeed margins and being mindful of crosswind effects during takeoff, especially in turbulent conditions.
After the crash last year, Mr Miller's devastated sister, Nicole Miller, told 7News her brother had always dreamt of becoming a pilot, describing him as her 'hero'.
He earnt his pilot's licence earlier in 2024, just months before the crash.
'(He was) always watching all the old war movies with the planes that would take off, he would soak up everything that he saw,' Ms Miller said.
She said her brother was a 'caring, kind-hearted' young man who was just shy of his 21st birthday.
'Whatever happened doesn't change the outcome at the end of the day,' she said.
'We still don't have him, and nothing will ever fix the place he had in our lives.'