Bad weather that caused a pilot to become disoriented was the likely cause of a plane crash that killed two people near the Queensland/NSW border, a report has found.
The light aircraft that the pilot and one passenger were travelling in was destroyed when it crashed into a ridge in the Tooloom National Park on January 12, 2020.
The pair were returning from a fly-in at Evans Head in northern NSW that had been curtailed due to poor weather conditions.
Attempting to return to Boonah in Queensland, they landed at Casino due to challenging conditions that prompted the pilot to try an different route, an Australian Transport Safety Bureau investigation found.
Flight data shows a series of rapid descents and climbs between 3100 and 4000 feet shortly after take-off, followed by a left descending turn before the crash into dense rainforest.
"The ATSB found that the pilot, who was operating under visual flight rules, departed Casino with a high risk of encountering forecast cloud," ATSB Director of Transport Safety Stuart Macleod said.
"En route to Boonah, the aircraft encountered reduced visibility and the pilot likely became spatially disorientated, resulting in a loss of control."
A final data point showed the aircraft descending at 1800 feet per minute while travelling at a ground speed of 172 knots and tracking towards high ground.
"Weather-related decision making can be highly complex and therefore more prone to errors," Mr Macleod said.
"Unfortunately, weather-related general aviation accidents remain one of the ATSB's most significant causes for concern."
