Shocking VFR into IMC, again! Australia, 15 Jul 2025 (MSFS)

[FrankPilot]

On 15 Jul 2025 in Australia, a Beechcraft Debonair crashed & the pilot died, after flying VFR into IMC. This all too frequent situation was particularly shocking because the pilot was not qualified for cross-country or instrument flying, & in worsening weather & rising terrain he passed by 2 airports just moments before the crash.

 

 

 

[facthunter]

Even experienced people can get caught by Icing . Worst time of the year to be going over that particular Terrain. 

[BurnieM]

https://www.atsb.gov.au/media/news-items/2025/beech-debonair-fatal-snowy-mountains-accident-entered-spiral-descent-consistent-pilot-spatial-disorientation-cloud

 

Final report - https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/2025/report/ao-2025-040

 

Edited Wednesday at 08:52 AM by BurnieM

[FrankPilot]

Note: In the video above, VMC on the 1st slide and IFR on the 2nd slide should both read VFR.

[BurnieM]

Appears that he had the plane for 2? years.

Had a RPL but no navigation endorsement and then took it more than 25nm for maintenance.

The navigation endorsement covers weather, terrain and route planning for exactly this scenario.

 

This is pretty blatant stupidity and not the first or last time this will occur.

 

Edited Wednesday at 10:05 PM by BurnieM

[Methusala]

Not necessarily as long as no passengers. 

[BurnieM]

Just now, Methusala said:

Not necessarily as long as no passengers. 

Read the regs.

 

[Methusala]

Jailing for infringement of ano is a bit harsh I'd think.

Edited Wednesday at 10:09 PM by Methusala

[BurnieM]

2 minutes ago, Methusala said:

Jailing for infringement of ano is a bit harsh I'd think.

In a previously edited post I said he should be jailed (if he was not already dead).

 

This is pretty obvious poor decision making. 

 

[Methusala]

But not a "hanging offence".

[onetrack]

No, it was a "Darwin Award" offence. Rules and regulations are in place to prevent stupid people killing themselves, and creating a huge mess for others to clean up, and adding serious levels of costs onto others.

[skippydiesel]

12 minutes ago, onetrack said:

No, it was a "Darwin Award" offence. Rules and regulations are in place to prevent stupid people killing themselves, and creating a huge mess for others to clean up, and adding serious levels of costs onto others.

While I wholeheartedly endorse the general thrust of your statement, I would point out that rules & regulations are not in place to prevent the stupid killing themselves, they are, in effect, there for the wise, who understand the reasons for and adhere to, the rules, thus preventing their untimely demise 

The stupid , the gung hoe (most of us have been there) unnecessarily risk their and the lives of others by ignoring the rules.

This is as it has always been and will continue. as long as we remain the creature we are. 😈

[FrankPilot]

I have always thought the following. Rules for flying are serious because flying is so unforgiving. They are there to help prevent killing people in aircraft and on the ground, to penalise those who do not obey, and to help solve legal issues after accidents. Cheers.

[skippydiesel]

".........to penalise those who do not obey,"

 

Fortunately there are not very many air cops around, so the the (sub leethal) penalties are most often the criticism of peers and or instructors.

 

I don't much like the word "obey" in this context - follow, would be more appropriate. Obey has conations of unthinking adherence. Pilots must understand the reasons for the rules, not just obey them.

 

Of course, PIC survivors of, at fault, accidents accident may face legal censure.

 

"and to help solve legal issues after accidents"

 

Solve??? do you mean may assist in establishing guilt or not ? 😈

[facthunter]

There used to be a saying: There are Old Pilots and Bold pilots but not many OLD, BOLD pilots. Also, EVEN if you do manage to  get there, what example are you setting? Only GAMBLE when you can afford to lose. 

   PPPP. Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Peformance..  Weather and Terrain and fuel, deserve your utmost attention no matter what you fly.

      SOME people are Unfit to be in charge of an aircraft. They identify themselves to the Observant, easily and usually come unstuck in a big way before long because nothing they are told  SINKS IN.  Nev

Edited Thursday at 12:36 AM by facthunter
typo

[FrankPilot]

39 minutes ago, skippydiesel said:

".........to penalise those who do not obey,"

 

Fortunately there are not very many air cops around, so the the (sub leethal) penalties are most often the criticism of peers and or instructors.

 

I don't much like the word "obey" in this context - follow, would be more appropriate. Obey has conations of unthinking adherence. Pilots must understand the reasons for the rules, not just obey them.

 

Of course, PIC survivors of, at fault, accidents accident may face legal censure.

 

"and to help solve legal issues after accidents"

 

Solve??? do you mean may assist in establishing guilt or not ? 😈

Yeah, follow is a good word.

Solve? Yeah, guilt, liability, compensation etc etc.

Cheers

[facthunter]

COMPLY with the rules . Mostly they are written in blood. Wisdom comes with  experience but learning from the experiences of others is less risky and better than finding out the HARD way. It's NOT WIMPY to be a SAFE pilot. It just MAKES GOOD SENSE, for you and the Movement.. Nev

[turboplanner]

On 08/01/2026 at 9:08 AM, Methusala said:

Jailing for infringement of ano is a bit harsh I'd think.

Look at the result; flying is a high stakes business and one of the ways to eliminate injury of deaths is to investigate what causes people to be injured or killed, then classify them into types and where there is an obvious prevention, tell everyone. Then, when people have been told, they avoid taking that action and the injuries and deaths from that type of incident cease. That's the theory. If some people are silly enough not to follow the advice, the procedure is usually to sanction them as a deterrent against ignoring the advice. The bigger the risk, the bigger the sanction. If someone decides to fly  where the Pilot or passengers will die, how would you prevent it?

[Methusala]

Nev, I  agree with your reasoning. Walking with my German sister in law one day we saw a local park in terrible condition due to gross littering.  When she said, wouldn't happen at home,I asked why. She said because of the 2000 mark fine! No graffiti in  China or Vietnam. But  at what cost you may ask? Same with breach of ano's. Given the rather exclusive membership of pilot communities (incl lawyers) I wonder if it would work (jailing them?) Rgds and happy new year,  Don Sorry, thought it was facthunter, still applies Turbo.

Edited Friday at 06:00 AM by Methusala

[facthunter]

Education Beats Incarceration. Gaols are symptomatic of a failed system and can harden Criminals. Having them privatised makes rehabilitation less likely., Pilot s with No regard for the rules set a bad EXAMPLE and endanger others and add costs to the system.. There can also be Large Liabilities Incurred in this game.. Nev

[turboplanner]

So every year, the fatalities will go on.

[facthunter]

Not because of anything I've Just Mentioned..  Each Person who dies doesn't fly again. Grounding everyone would make Aviation safer. Knowledge Beats Incarceration. Nev

[BrendAn]

3 hours ago, facthunter said:

Education Beats Incarceration. Gaols are symptomatic of a failed system and can harden Criminals. Having them privatised makes rehabilitation less likely., Pilot s with No regard for the rules set a bad EXAMPLE and endanger others and add costs to the system.. There can also be Large Liabilities Incurred in this game.. Nev

well that idea has worked well in victoria.  now we have a generation of machete wielding thugs because of no consequences

[Methusala]

51 minutes ago, BrendAn said:

well that idea has worked well in victoria.  now we have a generation of machete wielding thugs because of no consequences

Nothing to do with the justice system... immigration, done wrong has extreme consequences. 

[BrendAn]

1 minute ago, Methusala said:

Nothing to do with the justice system... immigration, done wrong has extreme consequences. 

victoria stopped jailing young criminals and that has turned into a crime wave.  there are kids that have been released on bail more than 50 times for home invasions and aggravated assaults.  they don't care because they don't get in trouble. 

and because there are no consequences for youths they are recruited by crime gangs to do their dirty work as well.