Large Australian Bustard likely behind fatal spraying crash

An ATSB investigation into the fatal crash of a spraying aircraft has found evidence that a large Australian bustard smashed through the cockpit window in the lead-up to the accident.

An unidentified man in his 30s died in September when his Air Tractor AT-502B hit the ground near Chinchilla on Queensland’s Western Downs.

It comes months after it was revealed a wedge-tailed eagle was likely behind a separate crash that killed a pilot in Sydney in July. The investigation is only at the preliminary stage, with a final report set to be published later.

The organisation’s director of transport safety, Dr Stuart Godley, said, “Should a critical safety issue be identified during the course of the investigation, the ATSB will immediately notify relevant parties so appropriate and timely safety action can be taken.”

The early report details how the Air Tractor AT-502B, VH-KDR, had been conducting spray runs on the morning of 19 September 2022.

Around 1200, the loader at the private airstrip about 24 NM (44 km) southeast of Chinchilla from where the Air Tractor had been operating attempted to call the pilot to ask whether they needed more fuel.

Concerned with having received no response, the loader phoned the operations manager, who in turn contacted nearby farmers to assist with locating the aircraft.

written by Adam Thorn in Australian Aviation