WW24, vicinity Norfolk Island South Pacific, 2009

WW24, vicinity Norfolk Island South Pacific, 2009

Summary

On 18 November 2009, an IAI Westwind on a medevac mission failed to make a planned night landing at Norfolk Island in unanticipated adverse weather and was intentionally ditched offshore because of insufficient fuel to reach the nearest alternate. The fuselage broke in two on water contact but all six occupants escaped from the rapidly sinking wreckage and were eventually rescued. The Investigation initially completed in 2012 was reopened after concerns about its conduct and a new Final Report in 2017 confirmed that the direct cause was flawed crew decision-making but also highlighted ineffective regulatory oversight and inadequate Operator procedures.

Description

On 18 November 2009 an IAI Westwind 1124A (VH-NGA) being operated by Australian charter company Pel-Air on a medevac flight from Apia, Samoa to Melbourne via an intended refuelling stop at Norfolk Island was unable to obtain sufficient visual reference to complete a night landing there despite making four successive non precision approaches. The Captain elected to carry out a controlled ditching offshore as there was by then not enough fuel left to reach the designated alternate and he was concerned that there may not be enough fuel left for the safe completion of another approach. The ditching was successful but the aircraft broke in two and the main part quickly became submerged. All six occupants managed to escape including, with assistance, the stretchered patient. Two of them sustained serious injuries and three minor injuries but the Captain was uninjured.

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