What happened
While performing calibration duties for the Muchea Tracking Station in support of a NASA Project Mercury space launch, an A65-106 experienced a fatal accident. The crew had been operating across various Australian locations and were scheduled to return to their home base at RAAF Edinburgh in South Australia earlier that day. However, technical issues with the mobile tracking equipment caused delays in their mission.
Following these delays, the A65-106 departed from Runway 18 at Pearce after nightfall amidst intermittent rain. During the initial climb phase of the flight, the aircraft went down a few kilometers from the airfield. The impact resulted in the total destruction of the airframe. The accident claimed the lives of four crew members, while the three passengers on board sustained injuries.
Findings
Technical difficulties at the mobile Muchea Tracking Station prevented the flight from departing as originally scheduled. The aircraft was operating under conditions involving darkness and passing rain showers during its departure.