What happened
During a routine agricultural spraying operation in the vicinity of Hamilton, Tasmania, an aircraft was performing maneuvers at a low altitude. While maintaining a cruising height of approximately 500 feet, the pilot-in-command began a left-hand turn and simultaneously reduced the flight altitude to 50 feet. During this maneuver, the aircraft collided with electrical power cables.
The force of the collision caused the left wing to separate from the fuselage, resulting in the aircraft impacting the ground and catching fire. There were two fatalities among the crew members on board.
Findings
Investigations revealed that the power lines involved in the collision had been installed only a few days before the accident occurred. The crew was not notified of this new infrastructure prior to their mission. Although a briefing took place before the flight, the chief pilot did not mention the presence of the cables because he operated under the assumption that the crew had already been made aware of them.