Incident Overview
A midair collision occurred near Bankstown Airport during a local training flight. The de Havilland Dove, which had departed Bankstown on a training exercise, collided with a privately owned Piper PA-30-160B Twin Comanche registered VH-WWB. The Twin Comanche was approaching Bankstown Airport from Sydney with two people on board, matching the Dove's crew complement.
Collision and Impact
Following the collision, both aircraft dove into the ground and crashed in a residential area approximately 3 nautical miles from the airfield. The impact destroyed both aircraft. All four occupants—two in each aircraft—were killed. Despite the crash site being in a populated area, there were no casualties on the ground.
Circumstances
The crew of the Dove is believed to have encountered radio problems before the accident. The aircraft were in the vicinity of the airport when the collision occurred. The precise sequence of events leading to the collision has not been detailed in the available information.