Accident
On 29 January 2016, at 08:10, a Cessna 425 Conquest, privately operated, crashed approximately 300 meters north-northeast of the threshold of Runway 26 at Hosea Kutako Airport. The aircraft was registered as V5-MJW.
Flight Details
According to the flight plan filed on 28 January 2016, the flight was scheduled for a renewal of Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) and Instrument Rating (IR) for the two pilots, conducted by a Designated Examiner (DE). The departure time was scheduled at 07:45, with a planned cruising altitude of FL100 for Hosea Kutako Airport. The pilots requested an Instrument Landing System (ILS) approach. The Air Traffic Controller (ATC) cleared them for the ILS approach to Runway 26 with QNH 1024 and instructed them to report when at nine miles inbound. At approximately nine miles, the pilots reported their position and were instructed to continue the approach along the glide slope. The DE then requested a VOR approach for the next approach and an early right-hand turnout, which was approved by ATC, who also required them to report when going around.
ATC and Emergency Response
The ATC reported seeing the aircraft at approximately 4 nautical miles on final approach. After looking away momentarily, he heard a slight bang and then observed a ball of flames about 300 meters north of the runway 26 threshold. He called out to the aircraft three times and, upon not receiving a response, concluded that it could have been V5-MJW that had crashed. The ATC activated the crash alarm, and after a brief delay, contacted the fire station. The Airport's Fire and Rescue team arrived at the site approximately 10 minutes after the initial notification; by that time, fire had engulfed the aircraft and its occupants. The team extinguished the fire in three to four minutes.
Weather
The weather at the time was reported as fine, with winds from 140° at 8 knots, scattered clouds at 4,000 feet, and unrestricted visibility.
Probable Cause
The official investigation stated the probable cause as: "The aircraft stalled at low altitude and consequently impacted the ground." Contributory factors included loss of control of the aircraft, non-adherence to go-around procedures as set in the AIP, and normalization of deviation, where non-standard go-around procedures were executed.