Via the Oz:
Airspace changes ‘would have stopped fatal crash’
![[Image: 7b2e8bde7aa63b58d4b20a27955a902f?width=650]](https://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/7b2e8bde7aa63b58d4b20a27955a902f?width=650)
Matthew and Jeffrey Hills in the cockpit a week before their Mooney M20J four-seater crashed into a hill in Dorrigo National Park, west of Coffs Harbour, in 2019.
ROBYN IRONSIDE
AVIATION WRITER
@ironsider
9:28PM JANUARY 20, 2021
13 COMMENTS
A fatal plane crash in northern NSW could have been avoided if long-awaited changes to Australia’s airspace had been made, veteran aviator Dick Smith says.
The final report by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau on the September 20, 2019, crash found a trainee air traffic controller sent a Mooney M20J plane into deteriorating weather that ultimately resulted in a crash 26km west of Coffs Harbour Airport. Both men on board, pilot Jeffrey Hills, 59, and his 25-year-old son, Matthew, were killed.
The report revealed the pilot had sought clearance to continue flying at 6500 feet in Class C airspace, but was refused, despite no limiting weather factors.
Airspace near busy airports is generally classified as Class C, which means all aircraft must seek clearance before transiting.
With no clearance provided, Hills was sent to a lower altitude in Class D airspace where there was an increased risk of encountering poor weather.
As conditions deteriorated below those required for visual flight, the Mooney descended into a hilly area and crashed.
Mr Smith said the crash would not have occurred if the agency responsible for air traffic control, Airservices Australia, had followed a ministerial directive issued in 2004. That directive, which is current, instructed Airservices to provide an approach radar control service where Class C airspace existed or reclassify to Class E. “They have not done either,” Mr Smith said. “Airservices have not given the controller the correct tools to do their job so it’s just easier to stop planes coming into the airspace.”
![[Image: 0516057d1c2e439670ba05f2aa05f5f5?width=650]](https://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/0516057d1c2e439670ba05f2aa05f5f5?width=650)
The wreckage of the Mooney M20J.
If the changes had been made, the Mooney would have simply continued on its journey at 6500 feet above mountains and weather, and on to its destination.
The report highlighted that Airservices did plan to reclassify the Class C airspace above Coffs Harbour to Class E, which meant pilots flying under visual rules would not have to seek clearance to transit. However, the timeframe for the reclassification was not available, the report said.
Mr Smith said it was disappointing the ATSB pointed the finger at a trainee traffic controller rather than tackling Airservices’ failings. “I’d like to see the report redone using guidance from overseas airspace experts.”
The report also revealed the pilot was not carrying appropriate navigation equipment and had “most probably not obtained weather forecasts”.
Hills Sr had not undergone a flight review or proficiency check since 2010, which meant he did not have a current licence. “This probably led to a deterioration in the knowledge and skills required for safe flight management and decision-making,” the report said.
ATSB chief commissioner Greg Hood said the crash illustrated the significant influence air traffic control could have on the conduct of a flight, and was another reminder of the risks for pilots without an instrument rating flying into non-visual conditions.
MTF...P2
Airspace changes ‘would have stopped fatal crash’
Matthew and Jeffrey Hills in the cockpit a week before their Mooney M20J four-seater crashed into a hill in Dorrigo National Park, west of Coffs Harbour, in 2019.
ROBYN IRONSIDE
AVIATION WRITER
@ironsider
9:28PM JANUARY 20, 2021
13 COMMENTS
A fatal plane crash in northern NSW could have been avoided if long-awaited changes to Australia’s airspace had been made, veteran aviator Dick Smith says.
The final report by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau on the September 20, 2019, crash found a trainee air traffic controller sent a Mooney M20J plane into deteriorating weather that ultimately resulted in a crash 26km west of Coffs Harbour Airport. Both men on board, pilot Jeffrey Hills, 59, and his 25-year-old son, Matthew, were killed.
The report revealed the pilot had sought clearance to continue flying at 6500 feet in Class C airspace, but was refused, despite no limiting weather factors.
Airspace near busy airports is generally classified as Class C, which means all aircraft must seek clearance before transiting.
With no clearance provided, Hills was sent to a lower altitude in Class D airspace where there was an increased risk of encountering poor weather.
As conditions deteriorated below those required for visual flight, the Mooney descended into a hilly area and crashed.
Mr Smith said the crash would not have occurred if the agency responsible for air traffic control, Airservices Australia, had followed a ministerial directive issued in 2004. That directive, which is current, instructed Airservices to provide an approach radar control service where Class C airspace existed or reclassify to Class E. “They have not done either,” Mr Smith said. “Airservices have not given the controller the correct tools to do their job so it’s just easier to stop planes coming into the airspace.”
The wreckage of the Mooney M20J.
If the changes had been made, the Mooney would have simply continued on its journey at 6500 feet above mountains and weather, and on to its destination.
The report highlighted that Airservices did plan to reclassify the Class C airspace above Coffs Harbour to Class E, which meant pilots flying under visual rules would not have to seek clearance to transit. However, the timeframe for the reclassification was not available, the report said.
Mr Smith said it was disappointing the ATSB pointed the finger at a trainee traffic controller rather than tackling Airservices’ failings. “I’d like to see the report redone using guidance from overseas airspace experts.”
The report also revealed the pilot was not carrying appropriate navigation equipment and had “most probably not obtained weather forecasts”.
Hills Sr had not undergone a flight review or proficiency check since 2010, which meant he did not have a current licence. “This probably led to a deterioration in the knowledge and skills required for safe flight management and decision-making,” the report said.
ATSB chief commissioner Greg Hood said the crash illustrated the significant influence air traffic control could have on the conduct of a flight, and was another reminder of the risks for pilots without an instrument rating flying into non-visual conditions.
MTF...P2