Request for information - Cessna 206 crash Nth Qld September 1982

[bigsquirrel]

Ladies and Gents, I just noticed a similar request in relation to a PNG accident. I too am now in aviation, and would like to ascertain what happened to my family members.

Brief facts are, a cessna 206 VH - BPB (I believe?) departed with my grandfather, uncle and 2 cousins and the pilot from Mt Isa, September 1982 I think it was the 18th for the Atherton Tablelands. The family were supposed to be aboard a RPT to Cairns and changed plans at the last moment.

The aircraft reported to ATC that he was lost and running out of fuel. The last transmission was that he saw white caps and then there was nothing else heard. That time of the year was the cane burning off season, and back then it was not manadatory to carry a transponder, let alone an EPIRB.

My grandfather was well respected in the Army, and a massive search was organised over a 2 week period. I was only 12 at the time, so cannot elaborate further.

My best guess is that the aircraft crashed into the hills around Mt Bartle Frere or into the sea. Being a pilot myself now (rotary), I would really like to know what happened and the results of the coronial inquest if indeed there was one.

Not a piece of wreckage or evidence has been located to date. Although the family has well and truly moved on, it would be very nice to find out what actually happened. I have searched the net to no avail of all the places I could think of.

One good thing came out of the search though, a bell 47 missing for over 15 years was found. If any of you guys could provide any assistance or if you were involved in the search I would be very grateful to hear from you.

Much appreciated

AV

[Jay & Silent Bob]

I don't know if you have seen this, I assume this is the incident you are referring to, there is a fairly large PDF that can be downloaded that contains more details.


198200063 (http://www.atsb.com.au/publications/investigation_reports/1982/AAIR/aair198200063.aspx)

[bigsquirrel]

Ladies and Gents, thankyou very much for reading the post and providing me with the answers I needed. I have been looking for this information for a long time. Thanks to all those crews that worked tirelessly in the search.

Cheers

Bigsquirrel

[bilbert]

I was involved in the search. Spent 3 days south of Cairns searching south of Innisfail to Hinchinbrook and out to sea. Was very smokey and very poor vis. A night VFR would have been IFR without any horizon. I did a lot of radio call checks with Cairns Tower, I think it was, from various locations and altitudes at the request of SAR authorities to determine reception as the aircraft was apparently in some communication.
Really heavy rain forrest with steep mountains. An aircraft going in there could easily never be found.
PM if you wish.

[burple]

G'day,
I was on in FS and received the first call. IIRC, it was later in the arvo but before 0824 but memory does play tricks. The only strip I had left was BPQ.
He had a sartime for arrival but I thought it was for Mareeba (YMBA). I was browsing an old crash comic (safety digest) and reading an article about a missing aircraft in the DKI area. One of the aircraft involved in the search was BPQ. It belonged to Bushies in those days. Lo and behold about 10 minutes later BPQ calls with the lost call.
The pilot thought he could see the lights of YMBA and YATN. This was relayed to TL OPSCTL who gave a heading they believed would have put the pilot overhead YBCS. Unfortunately this may not have beed the best advice.
We transferred BPQ to CS TWR shortly after this and I went upstairs to assist as they only had two on at that time or the evening.

Suffice to say the smoke haze was pretty bad and it was trapped below an inversion level. We could see the FA27 (I think it was still the Fairchild at the time) from about 65 miles out as he was above it but looking south couldn't see much past GRNH.
From memory Humphrey was the instructor in TL. God bless him as he did his best to get the most out of the aircraft.
The hoax rumour started straight away. I always thought there were only 4 POB. Only in reading the report now (thanks J&SB) did I find out about the 5th person. In fact the first question from BASI (now ATSB) was do I think it was a hoax.
I am sorry I can't be of more help. PM if you want.


Bilbert,
Were you in a Kingair or 402? I think we had both up doing arcs at different altitudes and distances trying to get a range on comms. A lot of hours were put into that search.

Cheers

[aroa]

This weekend Oz mag has MDX as "Australia's only unsolved crash since WW2"

So what about BPB then...??

In those days the only way to get an outside fix on anyone in that region, was TVL radar. NO VDF in CNS either for an accurate bearing.

So the instruction should have been to get them to climb and track to the south east That would have done two things...get above the inversion layer at around 9000' and into the clear, and put them on the screen in 20-30 minutes or so...depending where they were when first called in
They had the fuel apparently...so the flight plan stated..and it was hours !!! before they finally fell into oblivion. Coral Sea or coastal ranges...maybe we'll never know.

The target of Atherton before last light was in the September dry, burning off period, and with light winds and cooling air it settles down and thickens. Around that time road hazard alerts were giving smoke vis of only 50 mtrs. It was certainly IFR above that, so its not surprising he missed ATH.

Have just been into the ATSB site but #198200063 doesnt come up
Years ago I applied for the comms transcripts, but they arent forthcoming.
Both gone "missing" like the 206 and 4-5 souls on board.?

Hoax?? where does one hide a C206 and people that have never been seen or heard of again ?

And bigsquirrel says in 08 July 2008 post... a missing Bell 47 was found....
Can anyone elaborate on that. The one on a test flight out of CNS ??

[RatsoreA]

"So what about BPB then"


To crash on land and not be found, to put it more acuratly. There's been a bunch of missing, but they have all been over water (Valentich in VIC, Seaveiw en route LHI)

It's believed the aircraft in this question went in the sea.

That link no longer works, does anyone have a copy of it?

[aroa]

... the Bell 47 out of Cairns for a test flight ..last reporting over Gordonvale on descent from 7500" returning to Cairns...an never seen again.

About 6 ? years ago I met a guy getting some map photocopies done at the local newsagent...they were for a search party going into the Lamb Range west of Cairns for a hunt for that machine. Related to one of the missing

Talk about looking for the tip of a needle in 100 haystacks!!.

There's an awful lot of jungle clad hills between Ingham and Cairns that has never seen a whiteman's footprint.

And some WW2 aircraft still unaccounted for in that area as well, P 39, A 20.
One day a serious bush walker might trip over the jackpot.

There's also a Beech Sundowner that had a miracle crash landing in the trees somewhere ? in the headwaters of the North Johnstone River. The young coulple survived uninjured luckily, to walk out to civilization over 6 ? days.
They had no idea where the aircraft actually fetched up.