Swearingen SA227 Metro III crash, May 7, 2005 (15 killed)
Swearingen SA227 Metro III accident on May 7, 2005 near Lockhart River (Iron Range), Queensland, Australia with 15 fatalities. Cause: Controlled flight...
- Date: May 7, 2005
- Aircraft: Swearingen SA227 Metro III
- Location: Lockhart River (Iron Range), Queensland, Australia
- Fatalities: 15
- Phase of flight: Approach and landing
- Cause: Controlled flight into terrain during an RNAV (GNSS) approach, after the aircraft descended below segment minimum safe altitude. Contributing factors included crew qualification and workload, operator training and oversight, and approach chart design.
A Transair Metro on a scheduled service from Bamaga to Cairns via Lockhart River struck high terrain in Iron Range National Park while flying a RNAV approach to runway 12. The crew descended below the segment minimum safe altitude and the aircraft burned after impact. All 15 people on board died. The ATSB found the accident almost certainly resulted from controlled flight into terrain, with serious operator and regulatory shortcomings identified.