A fatal plane crash that killed a father and son was caused by the plane hitting a missing power line, a new report has revealed.
Ben Mumford, 50, and his son Charlie, 24, died when their Cessna 172N aircraft crashed near their property in Merriton, 190km north of Adelaide, at 4.15pm on October 8, 2023.
Mumford was flown to the Royal Adelaide Hospital in a critical condition, where he later died. His son was pronounced dead at the scene.
A report from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) revealed that Mumford collided with a single-wire overhead power line while attempting to land, causing the plane to crash to the ground and burst into flames.
The report found that the missing power line was 8.5 meters above the ground and, due to its position at the end of the runway, increased the likelihood of an accident.
A plane piloted by Ben Mumford and his son Charlie crashed after hitting a lone power line during landing.
The runway, on private land owned by Mumford, was surrounded by grass and ATSB chief commissioner Angus Mitchell found that Mumford probably lost track of the power line during landing.
“Power lines, especially individual cables, are very difficult to see from the air and pose a constant danger to aircraft, as this tragic accident demonstrates,” Mr Mitchell said.
‘(The power line) was not marked sufficiently to improve visibility for pilots using the runway, nor was there a requirement to do so.
“This highlights the importance of runways on rural properties being well separated from power lines, even when the runway is intended only for pilots familiar with the wires.”
When Mr. Mumford’s plane hit the power line, it immediately crashed to the ground and exploded, creating a fuel fire.
The report found that the pilots would have had to aim to land in the middle of the 700m runway if they wanted to avoid the line.
An Australian Transport Safety Bureau report found the pilot likely lost track of the power line during his descent to Mumford’s property in Merriton on October 8, 2023.
A marking had previously been placed on an adjacent pole to warn pilots of the lone line that could not be seen by approaching aircraft, Mitchell noted.
‘This (marker) was to alert pilots flying along it to the presence of another power line crossing above or below, rather than when approaching the runway.
“In addition, when passing over a power line that has been seen, its oblique orientation relative to the runway may also increase the possibility of a pilot striking a wire by misjudging the point where the aircraft would conflict with the wire.”
In South Australia, homeowners can ask telecommunications and energy companies to install markers near anything that could be dangerous to health. low altitude flight operations.
Mr Mitchell urged rural areas owners to carefully review their own landing strips to ensure cables are properly marked.
