Description

On 29 June 2012, a Piper PA-31 being operated by Advance Aviation Group on a passenger charter flight from Mackay to Emerald was cleared for and made a daylight take off in normal visibility from runway 05, becoming airborne just before overflying a runway inspection vehicle which had entered runway 05 from runway 32 contrary to clearance.

Investigation

An Investigation was carried out by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB). The aircraft was estimated to have been about 30 feet agl when it passed over the 6 feet high vehicle. As the departing aircraft accelerated, the pilot had realised that a vehicle on his right was moving along runway 05 towards the intersection and had become concerned that it may continue onto the active runway. He had concluded that rejecting the take off would probably lead to a ground collision and therefore elected to continue and achieve a rotation prior to the intersection so as to overfly the vehicle if it did not stop.