1990 Air DisasterPrint Page

The memorial stone and plaque commemorate those who lost their lives in separate air disasters on the 21st and 22nd December 1990. 

On 21 December 1990 VH-BUO was overdue. A search was begun later in the afternoon but it was not until the following day that wreckage from the Cessna was found on the shoreline south of Kerswell Point. The aircraft was eventually located on the lake bed by sonar in 47 metres of water, approximately 3 kilometres east of Kerswell Point. The wreckage was subsequently recovered and an examination revealed the aircraft had collided with the water at a speed of about 100 knots, consistent with the aircraft being in a shallow descent and moderately banked to the left at the time of impact. No evidence was found to indicate the aircraft was other than airworthy immediately prior to the accident. Weather conditions over Lake Burragorang at the time of the accident were reported to be fine and clear with an easterly breeze of 5 to 10 knots, and scattered cloud at 3500 feet. The events which occurred immediately before the collision with the water, were not positively determined. However, the circumstances of the accident are consistent with the aircraft being operated at a very low height. During the course of the investigation, evidence was obtained concerning the conduct of operations by the training organisation which reflected adversely upon the level of supervision. These matters were bought to the attention of the appropriate authorities for separate investigation. The crash claimed two lives.

At 1144 hours Eastern Summer Time, on 22 December 1990, during a search for the missing aircraft, Cessna 210 aircraft VH-PLD crashed in inhospitable terrain following a complete loss of engine power. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces; the pilot, co-pilot, and two observers received fatal injuries and two other observers suffered serious injury.

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