Early Report Finds Rossair Plane Crashed ‘Almost Vertically’
Three died in the May 30 accident
Image: Google Maps
An early report has found a plane operated by charter company Rossair hit the ground almost vertically when it crashed in the South Australian Riverland.
Chief pilot Martin Scott, 48, fellow pilot Paul Daw, 65, and Civil Aviation Safety Authority inspector Stephen Guerin, 56 were killed on May 30 when their aircraft "nosedived" 4km west of the Renmark Aerodrome, the Adelaide Advertiser reports.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau says its investigation is continuing, with the cause of the crash yet to be determined.
“A witness at the airport reported that, prior to the takeoff roll, the aircraft was briefly held stationary in the lined-up position with the engines operating at significant power,” the report stated.
“The takeoff roll was described as normal, however the witness looked away before the aircraft became airborne.”
While the Rossair plane did not have a flight data recorder or cockpit voice recorder, it was not legally required to do so.