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Light plane fault could drown passengers

Tracey Ferrier
The Cessna 206 plane is a potential death trap if it ends up in the sea, the ATSB report says.
The Cessna 206 plane is a potential death trap if it ends up in the sea, the ATSB report says. Credit: AAP

A light plane certified to fly in Australia is a potential death trap that could drown those onboard if it ends up in the sea, a report has warned.

Serious concerns have been raised about the Cessna 206 after one ditched off Fraser Island last year with a flight instructor and trainee pilot onboard.

As water rushed into the cabin, the instructor had to kick out a cargo door. The door was blocked by a wing flap that was extended just before the ditching, in line with emergency procedures in the plane's manual.

The same problem has caused fatalities overseas, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau said in a report released on Thursday.

On January 29 last year, a Cessna 206 was being used by Air Fraser Island to train for emergency beach landings.

The plane had barely touched down when the trainee pilot at the controls heard a snapping noise and the plane veered towards the sea.

Just before it reached the water's edge the trainee applied full power and took off again hitting waves as it began to climb. Once back in the air, the crew realised the rudder was jammed in the full-left position.

They had to work hard to maintain control but the engine stopped due to fuel starvation and five to six seconds later they were in the water.

As the cabin flooded, the flight instructor climbed towards the cargo door and had to kick it out due to the wing flap obstruction. The trainee managed to squeeze out through the window of the pilot door.

The ATSB has issued safety recommendations to Textron Aviation, Cessna's parent company, Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

It wants Textron to amend the plane's manual so pilots know extending the flaps, to achieve a slower speed, will also block an emergency exit.

It also said pilots should reconsider extending the flaps if they find themselves in such an emergency, and teach passengers how to open a blocked cargo door in pre-flight briefings.

The ATSB has also recommended CASA and the FAA take safety action to address the certification basis for the design of the cargo door.