What happened
During an instrument flight rules operation at Jandakot Airport, Western Australia, an aircraft departed from runway 24R. The flight was carrying one pilot and five passengers. Shortly after liftoff, the pilot identified symptoms suggesting the right engine had failed. Despite this, the decision was made to proceed with the takeoff. The pilot proceeded to retract the landing gear, set the flaps to the up position, and feathered the propeller of the malfunctioning right engine.
As the aircraft progressed, the pilot expressed concern regarding obstacles in the flight path, specifically high-voltage powerlines located approximately 2,400 m from the runway, as well as nearby residential structures. Roughly 450 m past the upwind threshold of runway 24R, the pilot began executing a series of left turns. During these maneuvers, radar data showed that the airspeed dropped significantly below the level necessary for optimal single-engine flight.
After notifying the aerodrome controller of the intent to land on runway 30, the aircraft's speed continued to decay during maneuvering. This loss of energy made a safe approach to the intended runway impossible. The aircraft lost altitude and struck a wooded area characterized by scrub and trees. During the crash, the left wing's outboard section struck a tree trunk and was severed, causing a massive fuel leak that ignited into an intense fire. The wreckage was destroyed by the flames.
Among the occupants, the pilot and four passengers managed to exit the wreckage, though they suffered serious burns. One passenger succumbed to their injuries 85 days after the event. A fifth passenger did not survive the post-impact fire, bringing the total fatalities to two.