Aircraft crash on runway at Shellharbour 11 October 2025

[Blueadventures]

Three people are dead after a light plane crashed at an airport in regional NSW and burst into flames.

The crash happened at Shellharbour in the Illawarra region on Saturday morning about 10am.

Police have confirmed three people are dead.

Images from the scene show the completely destroyed aircraft in the middle of the runway, with police and firefighters surveying the scene.

[onetrack]

This is terrible news. It looks like a failed attempt to return to the runway after an EFATO.

 

Three killed in plane crash at Shellharbour Airport in Lake Illawarra area - ABC News

WWW.ABC.NET.AU

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Officers from Lake Illawarra Police District were informed that a light aircraft crashed shortly after take-off on Saturday morning.  

 

[Thruster88]

From the adsb track looks like a departure stall spin. Six seat piper pa32 lance.

[BurnieM]

https://asn.flightsafety.org/wikibase/550503

 

https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/vh-jva#3c9bcb93

 

[flying dog]

Just saw the news.

 

Although we throw crap at the news for not knowing planes:

 

It is worrying when you hear the radio call just after the crash and it says:

"Aircraft crash, runway 36"

 

[BurnieM]

Names released

 

https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/incidents/three-people-dead-in-light-plane-crash-in-shellharbour-illawarra-region/news-story/0c40e23f3cb900c95ef6bc8e71b4b9a6

[walrus]

the retractable Lance is like a big heavy american car. With the big six you need a boot full of right rudder on takeoff and the aircraft is sorta sluggish - based on my endorsement with instructor, LAME a stack of tools and a new battery for a stranded aircraft.. Soft springs on the nosewheel steering on the ground, the feel changes once airborne.

 

So 3 blokes for big day out to Bathurst. A bit of gear and max fuel - we are at MTOW. so stall at zero flaps around 63mph, 53 knots. So TOSS  around 1.3 X 50 say 65 - 70 kts add half the gust for mum and kids say 10 -15 kts and you have something like 80 -85 kts

 

Now consider distance to speed - around 1200 ft to 53 kts (performance charts and we qant another30 kts or 50 ft/second  we needed 1200 ft to get to 53 kts so we will need  the same again and then some to get to 90 kts  thats 2400 ft plus ....

 

Is the runway long enough yo give us our TOSS and some gust allowance? Maybe not.

 

Now we get a gust just after liftoff we yaw left, dont counter it fast enough (fiddling with the gear retraction or the nose locker door opens?) the left wing drops and we try to pick it up with aileron, not rudder........

[BurnieM]

Shellharbours 26/08 runway is 4367 ft.

It has a slight rise where it crosses the main 34/16 runway so you normally try to be off before this.

 

The schools there avoid flying in westerly winds as it gets gusty and today it was westerly and gusty.

 

The AD Closed notam has been extended to 1200 Sunday.

 

[kgwilson]

14 hours ago, walrus said:

the retractable Lance is like a big heavy american car. With the big six you need a boot full of right rudder on takeoff and the aircraft is sorta sluggish - based on my endorsement with instructor, LAME a stack of tools and a new battery for a stranded aircraft.. Soft springs on the nosewheel steering on the ground, the feel changes once airborne.

 

So 3 blokes for big day out to Bathurst. A bit of gear and max fuel - we are at MTOW. so stall at zero flaps around 63mph, 53 knots. So TOSS  around 1.3 X 50 say 65 - 70 kts add half the gust for mum and kids say 10 -15 kts and you have something like 80 -85 kts

 

Now consider distance to speed - around 1200 ft to 53 kts (performance charts and we qant another30 kts or 50 ft/second  we needed 1200 ft to get to 53 kts so we will need  the same again and then some to get to 90 kts  thats 2400 ft plus ....

 

Is the runway long enough yo give us our TOSS and some gust allowance? Maybe not.

 

Now we get a gust just after liftoff we yaw left, dont counter it fast enough (fiddling with the gear retraction or the nose locker door opens?) the left wing drops and we try to pick it up with aileron, not rudder........

The Aero club at Hamilton in NZ had an earlier Cherokee 6. Crashed and burned in a slmilar manner. Luckily that time they all got out.

[RFguy]

looks like it was 15 gusting at least 25. nothing unusual for that AD.

canberra on 30, the GA runway, is regularly 15 gusting 25, it's a windy place.

when its a bit breezy I always hold my PA28 a few feet over the runway until at least 80 kts ( no flap)

 

Are there any immediate  departure obstructions on 26 off the end of the runway at shellharbour ?

 

 

[facthunter]

Accelerate on the ground OR IN Ground effect.  Wind from the West there comes over some rough country with a big drop off. Did MY First flight there in 1958. It was Called "Albion Park" then.  Nev

[BurnieM]

55 minutes ago, RFguy said:

Are there any immediate  departure obstructions on 26 off the end of the runway at shellharbour ?

No immediate obstructions, slightly rising terrain but you have the Escarpment 4-5 miles away.

The gusts may not seem like much but they are really inconsistent with a westerly wind dropping down 2500 feet off the Escarpment.

 

On 26 normally you would depart right crosswind and climb then circle back and head west.

 

[onetrack]

Angus Mitchell has stated that the ATSB can confirm that the engine of this aircraft wasn't producing power when it impacted the ground at runway 34. Why it wasn't, is something that they have yet to find out.

 

QUOTE: "What we do know, and all indicators are, that there wasn't any power being produced in the very final moment as it's impacted with terrain, and what we don't understand is why"

 

Tributes to 'fantastic people' killed in light plane crash near Wollongong - ABC News

WWW.ABC.NET.AU

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Friends and neighbours of three people killed in a plane crash at Shellharbour Airport in New South Wales say their deaths are a "big loss to the community".

 

A fuel selector valve in an incorrect position, perhaps? Not the first time that it's happened.

 

Improper fuel selector placement led to fuel starvation in 2024 crash that killed 5

WWW.GLOBALAIR.COM

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The NTSB said the pilot failed to ensure the proper placement of the fuel selector during approach and landing. The plane lost engine power and crashed, killing all five on board.

 

Edited Sunday at 10:36 AM by onetrack

[RFguy]

Only  option is to push the nose down and grit your teeth. 

I do this in the simulator. (yes, and take it on board, its a simulator) . Nevertheless I beleive that working these problems in a simulator regularly improves real life response.

 

Of course takes a few seconds for a human to figure out they need to do this.

 

Well, maybe not a Thruster 2-stroke pilot where, I am told, any loss of engine power  during climb needs to be an instinctive nose down reaction as the drag will kill airspeed in quick time.

 

[facthunter]

It was a Hot day at Newcastle and that is not far away  but without Power the outcome is never going to be good and you have NO HOPE of doing a turn from that low Height. IF you are stalled you have NO control. Very SAD outcome for  sure. Nev