What happened
On the morning of 28 July 2004, a Piper Aircraft Corporation PA31T Cheyenne, identified by registration VH-TNP, departed from Bankstown, New South Wales. The aircraft was operating a private flight under instrument flight rules (IFR) toward Benalla, Victoria. Due to the presence of instrument meteorological conditions at the destination, the pilot was performing a Global Positioning System (GPS) non-precision approach.
After the aircraft failed to arrive at Benalla as scheduled, a search operation was initiated. During the late afternoon, a search helicopter crew discovered the wreckage on a ridge covered in trees, located roughly 34 km southeast of Benalla. The aircraft was found burning on the eastern slope of the ridge.
Findings
All six occupants, consisting of one pilot and five passengers, sustained fatal injuries during the accident. The destruction of the VH-TNP was caused by the impact forces of the crash and a subsequent fire that broke out after the collision.