| - | ACCIDENT DETAILS |
| Date: | May 31, 2000 |
| Time: | 1905 |
| Location: | Off Whyalla, Australia |
| Operator: | Whyalla Airlines |
| Flight #: | 904 |
| Route: | Adelaide - Whyalla |
| AC Type: | Piper PA-31-350 Navajo |
| Registration: | VH-MZK |
| cn / ln: | 31-8152180 |
| Aboard: | 8 (passengers:1 crew:7) |
| Fatalities: | 8 (passengers:1 crew:7) |
| Ground: | 0 |
| Summary: | En route and descending at Whyalla, at 6,000 ft., the pilot transmitted a MAYDAY, reporting that both engines of the aircraft had failed, that there were eight persons on board and that he was going to have to ditch the aircraft, but was trying to reach Whyalla. Three minutes later he reported his position 15 nm off the coast of Whyalla. No further transmissions were heard from the plane and the wreckage was found in Spencer Gulf the next morning. Malfunction of both engines due to the failure of components of the engines. A fractured connecting rod in the left engine led the pilot to increase the power setting in the right engine, leading to the No. 6 piston being holed in the right engine. |
Sources
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