What happened
On Tuesday, October 22, 2024, a Cessna 150 light aircraft registered VH-EYU and operated by the Bacchus Marsh Aero Club crashed shortly after take-off from Bacchus Marsh Airport in Victoria, Australia. The aircraft, manufactured in 1974 and powered by a Teledyne-Continental O-200-A engine, came down in a paddock near the airport at approximately 11:20 am local time, resulting in the death of the sole occupant.
The pilot, a man in his early 20s, was conducting a private flight from Bacchus Marsh Airport when the aircraft lost control during the take-off phase. The circumstances surrounding the loss of control remain unknown at this time. Emergency services responded rapidly to the crash site, but the pilot was pronounced dead at the scene.
The aircraft was destroyed in the impact. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has launched a formal investigation into the accident, with teams dispatched from its Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra, and Sydney offices. The investigation will examine wreckage evidence, conduct site mapping, interview witnesses, and review flight tracking data, pilot records, aircraft maintenance records, and weather information to determine the contributing factors to this fatal accident.
- The pilot, a man in his early 20s, was conducting a private flight from Bacchus Marsh Airport when the aircraft lost control during the take-off phase