Geraldton – Carnarvon

On August 18, 1989 at 06:56 PM, Geraldton – Carnarvon experienced a crash involving Piper PA-31-310 Navajo, operated by Private Australian, with the event recorded near Carnarvon Western Australia.

The flight was categorized as private and the reported phase was landing (descent or approach) at a airport (less than 10 km from airport) crash site.

2 people were known to be on board, 0 fatalities were recorded, 2 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 0.0%.

Crew on board: 1, crew fatalities: 0, passengers on board: 1, passenger fatalities: 0, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is technical failure. At approximately 1809, (23 minutes before last light) during final approach to landing at Carnarvon, the pilot noticed that the landing gear had not extended correctly. The aircraft remained in the circuit area whilst the pilot attempted to lower the landing gear using both manual and emergency methods. He also sought assistance from the company's, Perth based, duty pilot and Carnarvon based engineers. After exhausting all possible methods of lowering the gear the pilot decided to land with the landing gear and flaps retracted. The pilot rejected a landing on the sealed runways because he was apprehensive that it would cause unnecessary damage to the aircraft and could result in a fire. He considered landing in a riverbed (rejected by the Senior Operational Controller), alongside one of the sealed runways (the surface was unsuitable) and on one of the dirt strips. The pilot was offered a flare path on dirt runway 27 however, he declined and indicated that he would try to land using the available light. At 1856 (last light was at 1832) the pilot attempted a landing on runway 27. On late final approach the aircraft collided with a one and a half metre high levy bank, 270 metres short and 115 metres to the right of the threshold. The pilot was trapped in the wreckage for some time after the aircraft came to a stop. While the passenger was slightly injured, the pilot was seriously wounded.

Aircraft reference details include registration VH-DEG, MSN 31-7812098, year of manufacture 1978.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately -24.8845°, 113.6569°.