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| Date: | Wednesday 29 January 2020 |
| Time: | 13:22 LT |
| Type: |  Cessna U206G Stationair 6 II |
| Owner/operator: | Air Fraser Island |
| Registration: | VH-AEE |
| MSN: | U206-05226 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Coral Sea, off Happy Valley, Fraser Island, QLD -
 Australia
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Training |
| Departure airport: | near Happy Valley, Fraser Island, QLD |
| near Happy Valley, Fraser Island, QLD | |
| Investigating agency: | ATSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
A Cessna U206G Stationair 6 II (Robertson STOL conv.) ditched into the waters of the Coral Sea off Happy Valley, Fraser Island, Queensland, and partly submerged. The two occupants were able to swim ashore with minor injuries.
Just after touching down, the aircraft veered significantly to the left, toward the sea. The training pilot took control of the aircraft and conducted a go-around. Once airborne it was identified that the rudder was jammed in the full‑left position and the pilot had to apply full opposite aileron to maintain control. The engine subsequently stopped and the aircraft collided with water. The pilots escaped the aircraft and swam to shore. The aircraft was destroyed.
The ATSB found that, following touchdown, a section of the nose landing gear attachment failed, resulting in the rudder becoming jammed in the full‑left position. Due to the aircraft’s significant deviation towards the water, a go-around was initiated. While there was only a short timeframe to make the decision to abort the landing, it resulted in flight over water with significantly reduced aircraft controllability that required uncoordinated flight control inputs to control the aircraft.
It was also identified that fuel starvation, due to either the uncoordinated flight or damage associated with the nose gear failure, led to the engine losing power at a height too low for recovery and the aircraft collided with water.
The ATSB also identified two safety issues associated with the Cessna 206 that, while not contributory to this accident, can lead to fatal consequences in the event of a ditching.
Firstly, the Cessna 206 procedure for ditching and forced landing stated that the flaps were to be extended to 40°. While that permitted the aircraft to land at a slower speed, it also significantly restricts emergency egress via the cargo door. However, there is no warning about that aspect in the ditching or forced landing pilot’s operating handbook emergency procedures.
In addition, the Cessna 206 with the cargo door does not meet the aircraft certification basis for the design of cabin exits, due to the complexity associated with opening the cargo door if it is blocked by the flaps. This significantly hampers emergency egress and has previously resulted in fatalities.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/men-swim-to-shore-after-plane-crashes-into-sea-off-fraser-island-20200129-p53vud.html
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-30/pilot-of-crashed-air-fraser-plane-speaks-prior-incidents/11913470
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7941245/Plane-crashes-ocean-Fraser-Island-witnesses-report-people-swimming-near-wreckage.html
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-29/plane-crashes-off-fraser-island-survivors-swim-ashore/11910632
Cessna 206 Stationairs VH-UPK, VH-BNX
https://www.casa.gov.au/aircraft-register?search_api_views_fulltext=&vh=AEE&field_ar_serial=
https://australianaviation.com.au/2021/07/hero-pilot-61-re-enters-submerged-cessna-to-save-trainee-20
https://www.flickr.com/photos/qfa744/27413530026 (photo)
Photo of wreckage: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-30/wreckage-of-plane-that-crashed-off-fraser-island/11912370
CH9 News
Location
Media:
A 61-year-old pilot of a Cessna 206 that crashed into the sea near Fraser Island kicked in the rear door to escape – before heading back underwater to the submerged wreckage to find his 20-year-old trainee. https://t.co/qdsRWcXNXg
— Australian Aviation (@ausaviation) July 13, 2021
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 29-Jan-2020 05:03 | Geno | Added |
| 29-Jan-2020 05:56 | RobertMB | Updated [Aircraft type, Source, Damage, Narrative] |
| 29-Jan-2020 14:33 | harro | Updated [Source] |
| 29-Jan-2020 16:41 | Geno | Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Source] |
| 30-Jan-2020 08:14 | Anon. | Updated [Registration, Cn, Source] |
| 30-Jan-2020 10:15 | Petropavlovsk | Updated [Phase, Nature, Source, Damage, Narrative] |
| 30-Jan-2020 12:41 | RobertMB | Updated [Aircraft type, Location, Source, Narrative] |
| 30-Jan-2020 12:42 | RobertMB | Updated [Aircraft type, Narrative] |
| 13-Jul-2021 08:30 | Aerossurance | Updated [Source, Embed code] |
| 13-Jul-2021 08:31 | Aerossurance | Updated [Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Embed code, Narrative] |
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