What happened
On the morning of the accident, a twin-engine aircraft operated by Skymaster Air Services was performing a repositioning flight under instrument flight rules. The flight was scheduled to travel from Bankstown Airport in New South Wales to Archerfield Airport in Queensland to prepare for a subsequent medical patient transfer to Albury.
Following its departure from Bankstown at 0740 Eastern Standard Time, the aircraft encountered difficulties. At 0752, the pilot contacted air traffic control to report that the aircraft was performing a turn to return, citing various technical issues. Shortly thereafter, at approximately 0806, the aircraft struck a powerline support pole situated near the intersection of Sackville Street and Canley Vale Road in Canley Vale, NSW.
The impact and a subsequent fire caused the total destruction of the aircraft. The two occupants on board, consisting of the pilot and a flight nurse, both sustained fatal injuries.
Findings
- The aircraft was operating under IFR for a repositioning mission.
- The pilot reported experiencing mechanical or operational problems prior to the collision.