Accident Overview
At 1201 EST, an aircraft taking off from Runway 10L at Archerfield Airport crashed into an annex attached to a Thiess Contractors workshop on Kerry Road, Archerfield. The accident site was located 455 metres east-north-east from the departure end of the runway. The aircraft and the annex were destroyed by impact forces and the subsequent explosion and fire.
Fatalities
The pilot and four workmen, who were taking their lunch break in the annex, were killed in the accident.
Background
The accident occurred during a test flight following corrective maintenance. The aircraft had completed a periodic inspection on 23 December 1981. However, during the next 10 days, a problem was experienced with the control of the left hand propeller. After maintenance on 4 January to rectify the problem, the pilot elected to test fly the aircraft prior to its intended use for endorsement training at 1500 hours on the day of the accident.
Probable Cause
According to the investigation, the cause of the accident was that following a reduction of power from the left engine, the pilot failed to maintain flying speed. The cause of the reduction of power was not determined. The accident may have been avoided if the pilot had employed the correct procedures following a reduction of power from the left hand engine.