What happened
On October 1, 2012, a de Havilllamd DH-84 Dragon, registration VH-UXG, departed from Monto for a private flight to Caboolture under visual flight rules. The aircraft was carrying the pilot and five passengers. During the early stages of the flight, weather conditions were favorable, characterized by good visibility and a light south-easterly wind.
By approximately 12:30, the aircraft was observed near Tansey, traveling northwest toward its destination at an altitude of roughly 3,000 feet. However, the flight conditions changed as the aircraft encountered overcast skies. At 13:15, the pilot contacted Brisbane Radar to request navigational aid, noting that the aircraft was positioned about 37 nautical miles north of Caboolture. Shortly after, the pilot reported that the aircraft had entered full cloud coverage.
During the flight, communications between the pilot and air traffic control were occasionally relayed through other aircraft in the vicinity due to radio coverage limitations at low altitudes. Around 13:20, a passenger contacted a friend via telephone, stating that the aircraft was lost within clouds and was experiencing a continuous loss of altitude. Witnesses in the Borumba Dam, Imbil, and Kandanga regions reported seeing the aircraft moving in and out of low cloud layers between 13:15 and 14:15.
At 13:48, the pilot informed controllers that the aircraft had approximately one hour of fuel remaining. The final transmission from the aircraft occurred at 14:04. Following the loss of contact, Australian Search and Rescue initiated a search operation. On October 3, 2012, wreckage was discovered on a steep, heavily forested ridge approximately 87 km northwest of Caboolture. The aircraft had struck the terrain and trees at a moderate to high speed while banking to the left. The crash, which resulted in 6 fatalities, is believed to have occurred at approximately 14:21.