Off-course Pilot Wasn't Warned
Sydney Morning Herald
Tuesday November 30, 2004
Air traffic controllers did not contact the pilot of a plane which was clearly off course before it crashed in north-east Victoria, killing six people, an interim report has found. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau yesterday released its report on the crash of a twin-engine Piper Cheyenne, which was 4 degrees off course when it hit a mountain as it approached Benalla airfield on July 28. According to the report, the air traffic control's route advisory monitoring alert had been activated three times during the flight, alerting controllers that the aircraft was off track, but they did not contact the pilot. Their response is still under investigation, said the bureau's spokesman, Peter Saint.
© 2004 Sydney Morning Herald