What happened
On the afternoon of the accident, a single-occupant aircraft began taxiing at Hobart for a planned VFR ferry flight to Devonport. The pilot informed air traffic control that the departure time was 1643, with an intended flight path of 319 degrees magnetic and a target altitude of 8,500 ft. Due to the presence of other traffic, the pilot was instructed to provide specific altitude updates.
At 1646, the pilot reported passing through 4,500 ft, after which air traffic services were terminated. This communication served as the final contact from the aircraft. When the aircraft failed to arrive at Devonport, the operator notified authorities and initiated a search using company aircraft. During the search, wreckage was spotted at approximately 1930, roughly 58 km from Hobart airport on a bearing of 320 degrees magnetic. A search and rescue helicopter arrived shortly after the discovery. The pilot was found fatally injured within the wreckage.
Based on the distance from the departure point and the aircraft's performance capabilities, the accident is estimated to have occurred at 1656. There were no eyewitnesses to the event.
Findings
Because the aircraft was not equipped with a flight data recorder or cockpit voice recorder, and was operating outside of radar coverage, a definitive flight profile could not be reconstructed. While the pilot intended to reach 8,500 ft, there was no direct evidence to confirm this altitude was achieved. However, calculations regarding wind and performance suggested the aircraft should have reached its target altitude roughly five minutes before the estimated time of the crash. The lack of recorded flight data prevented a detailed analysis of the aircraft's final maneuvers.