What happened
On 14 January 1994, an Aero Commander 690, registration VH-BSS, crashed into the sea while operating a cargo charter flight from Canberra to Sydney. The aircraft was flying under Instrument Flight Rules and was being directed by radar vectors toward the Instrument Landing System approach for runway 34 at Sydney (Kingsford-Smith) Airport. The final recorded position of the aircraft was approximately 10 miles southeast of the airport.
The aircraft struck the water, resulting in one fatality, as the pilot was the only person on board and their remains were never found. While wreckage was located on the seabed shortly after the event, an immediate salvage operation was not performed due to the high costs relative to the expected safety benefits. Roughly 18 months later, fishermen recovered the tail and wing sections of the aircraft.
Findings
An examination of the recovered wreckage was conducted to investigate whether mechanical issues played a role in the crash. The investigation found no evidence of defects that would have interfered with the normal operation of the aircraft. The investigation concluded that the aircraft descended below its assigned altitude, and the circumstances were consistent with a controlled flight into the sea.