Plane crash north of Geraldton 21 March 2025

[BrendAn]

Pilot killed in light plane crash in Ogilvie, 500km north of Perth, WA

Emergency services raced to the crash site about 11.15am.

By Bryce Luff

A pilot has died in a crash in a tiny town in WA’s Mid West.

The Cessna 150 came down in Ogilvie, 500km north of Perth, about 11.15am on Friday.

Police confirmed the pilot — a man in his 60s — died at the scene.

 

 

 

 

[BrendAn]

did anyone else see this report

[onetrack]

I've only just read about it, because I was away in the wheatbelt all day today. The information is a bit sparse, because the crash location is 47kms N of Northampton - and no-one noticed him missing, until a passer-by spotted wreckage in a paddock.

Obviously, he didn't file a flight plan or organise any SAR, or the crash would've been picked up sooner. It seems the "Cessna 150" description must be correct, because the ATSB is sending an investigation team to W.A. to look into it.

 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-21/light-plane-crash-ogilvie-western-australia/105082806

 

https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/wa/light-plane-crashes-in-ogilvie-500km-north-of-perth-in-wa-c-18115296

[Love to fly]

15 hours ago, onetrack said:

 

Obviously, he didn't file a flight plan or organise any SAR, or the crash would've been picked up sooner. 

Hiw long after the plane crashed was the wreck spotted? When I'm flying VFR I rarely lodge a SAR, I do lodge a flight night with friends but the timelines usually allow a little extra time. And a flight plan on its own doesn't alert anyone if you don't get there. 

[skippydiesel]

1 hour ago, Love to fly said:

Hiw long after the plane crashed was the wreck spotted? When I'm flying VFR I rarely lodge a SAR, I do lodge a flight night with friends but the timelines usually allow a little extra time. And a flight plan on its own doesn't alert anyone if you don't get there. 

I can't remember the last time I lodged an official flight plan & SAR time.

These VFR days, I just copy my flight plan, leave it with my Wife or Son. Phone when ready to depart, phone at each stop and at arrival. To me this ✔️ all the safety element boxes, with a known rout, departure, progress and arrival. I also make a call to all airfield, along my route, that I may be passing within 10Nm. Hopefully they never have to phone the authorities.😈

[facthunter]

I doubt anyone would record those calls. If you are going to crash do it near a road. What happened to EPIRBs? .Chances are you won't be found straight  away in  outback areas ,.   Nev

[onetrack]

No information is available are regards how long it was after the crash before the wreckage was found. The wreckage was reportedly found at 11:15AM local time, so it could've been there for anywhere between 5 hrs and half an hour.

Ogilvie Road West is a gravel local road in a sparsely-populated rural area, at the top end of the Northern Wheatbelt of W.A., so you'd be lucky to have any more than 5 or 6 vehicles a day transiting the road.

[onetrack]

The pilot of the crashed Cessna 150 has been identified as Eric Roulston, Chief Pilot and owner of Shark Bay Aviation. There's a large amount of public expressions of sorrow over his death.

 

Incredibly, his 23 yr old son was also killed in an aircraft crash in the Murchison (W.A.) region, on 13th February 2008, when the Piper PA-18 Super Cub he was piloting, was involved in a mid-air collision with a Robinson R44, when the Super Cub and the R44 were mustering goats as part of a State Govt contract. A spotter in the PA-18 also died in this crash.

 

https://thewest.com.au/news/wa/eric-roulston-heartbroken-family-pay-tribute-to-wa-pilot-who-died-in-ogilvie-plane-crash-c-18191042

 

https://www.coronerscourt.wa.gov.au/_files/roulston_kean_finding.pdf

 

 

[onetrack]

The ATSB has released its final report on this crash, and have concluded that the crash was caused by pilot incapacitation, more than likely related to a severe gastro intestinal infection, which infection had stopped the pilot from flying the previous day.

While the pilot claimed he felt better on the day of the crash, the ATSB has concluded he was still quite unwell - and coupled with other factors such as a possible lack of hydration, and prescribed medication being taken, it was highly likely all the events combined to cause the pilot to faint at the controls.

 

Fatal plane crash in WA's Midwest likely caused by medical episode, ATSB report reveals - ABC News

WWW.ABC.NET.AU

---

A report by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau reveals the pilot of a fatal crash in Ogilvie likely suffered an "incapacitating" medical episode.  

 

 

Collision with terrain involving Cessna 150M, VH-WWU, 40 km north-west of Northampton, Western Australia, on 21 March 2025 | ATSB

WWW.ATSB.GOV.AU

 

[facthunter]

The Stress ECG 3 months before the Incapacitation was no Predictor of the Heart attack and never is IMHO.. There's plenty of evidence of Pilots dying of a heart attack not long after doing the Test. Nev

[jackc]

23 minutes ago, facthunter said:

The Stress ECG 3 months before the Incapacitation was no Predictor of the Heart attack and never is IMHO.. There's plenty of evidence of Pilots dying of a heart attack not long after doing the Test. Nev

You don’t need a Heart Attack, a Sudden Cardiac Arrest  gives no warning, regardless of age.

A defibrillator is usually the only solution to bring someone back, an average of  20,00 people per year die in Australia from it, with no warning, it’s not predictable in any way. There are elements of risk in being alive……

[facthunter]

I was Particularly referring to the Inadequacy of the Often recommended Stress ECG in predicting Cardiac events.  Many of these events DO give warnings.  Nev

[jackc]

2 minutes ago, facthunter said:

I was Particularly referring to the Inadequacy of the Often recommended Stress ECG in predicting Cardiac events.  Many of these events DO give warnings.  Nev

A Stress Echo Ultrasound is very reliable, my wife has 7 stents, I have been in My wife’s Cardiologists Operating theatre watch this sort of procedure, being an Angiogram as a result of an adverse Stress Echo Ultrasound, 

Electrophysiology studies or the heart are done by a Cardiologist specialised in this field.  He is the heart’s ‘electrician’  👍

[facthunter]

We are talking of 2 different procedures. Bruces Protocol is the stress ECG type used in Aviation Medicals TOO often and not good with older people.  7 stents is  way above the normal number. Angiograms inject a dye that show arterial restrictions and has some risks associated with it. Stents are often inserted at the same time as it's convenient to do it then.  You have to cut an artery to get in there.  Nev