What happened
On 14 December 2019, an Angel Aircraft Corporation Model 44, registered VH-IAZ, was participating in a flight review at Mareeba Airport in Queensland. The crew consisted of the aircraft owner acting as the pilot and a flight instructor. The flight was intended to be a private operation conducted under visual flight rules within the local area.
During the initial takeoff roll, observers noted unusual engine behavior, including reports of misfiring and black smoke emanating from the right engine. After the takeoff, the pilot communicated intentions to perform low-level turns and climb within a specific training area. Following approximately eight minutes of flight in the training area, the pilot signaled an approach back to the airfield.
While attempting a touch-and-go maneuver on runway 28, witnesses heard an engine sputter as the aircraft climbed to an altitude of roughly 100 to 150 feet. Shortly thereafter, the aircraft was seen over a nearby plantation in a descending right-hand bank. The aircraft then experienced a sudden right roll, with the right wing dropping toward a vertical position, before striking the ground in a cornfield. The accident resulted in two fatalities and the total destruction of the aircraft.
Findings
- Witnesses observed engine malfunction characterized by black smoke and sputtering sounds during both the initial takeoff and a subsequent touch-and-go maneuver.