Cairns - Horn Island

On February 24, 2011 at 08:00 AM, Cairns - Horn Island experienced a crash involving Rockwell Shrike Commander 500, operated by Flightech, with the event recorded near Horn Island Queensland.

The flight was categorized as cargo and the reported phase was landing (descent or approach) at a lake, sea, ocean, river crash site.

1 people were known to be on board, 1 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

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

At 0445 Eastern Standard Time on 24 February 2011, the pilot of an Aero Commander 500S, registered VH-WZU, commenced a freight charter flight from Cairns to Horn Island, Queensland under the instrument flight rules. The aircraft arrived in the Horn Island area at about 0720 and the pilot advised air traffic control that he intended holding east of the island due to low cloud and rain. At about 0750 he advised pilots in the area that he was north of Horn Island and was intending to commence a visual approach. When the aircraft did not arrive a search was commenced but the pilot and aircraft were not found. On about 10 October 2011, the wreckage was located on the seabed about 26 km north-north-west of Horn Island.

Aircraft reference details include registration VH-WZU, MSN 3060, year of manufacture 1970.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately -10.6062°, 142.2811°.