Have any questions? Call us: Carter Capner Law monitors accidents involving light aircraft, helicopters, charter flights, balloons, commuter aircraft and airlines throughout Australia and overseas to spotlight safety issues of concern to our clients and to demonstrate those situations in which they may have a right to an insurance or compensation recovery. We act for pilots, passengers, operators, aircraft owners and aviation employees worldwide. Call today on 1300 529 529 or click here to reach Carter Capner Law. Click on Client Showcase to view our history of aircraft accident compensation claims.
Date:
Saturday, October 11, 2025
Time:
09:59 UTC (≈ 13:30 Local Time)
Type of Aircraft:
Piper PA-32R-300 Cherokee Lance
Owner/Operator:
Connors Building Pty Limited
Registration:
VH-JVA
MSN:
32R-7680030
Year of Manufacture:
1975
Engine Model:
Lycoming IO-540
Fatalities:
3 / Occupants: 3
Other Fatalities:
0
Aircraft Damage:
Destroyed
Category:
Accident
Location:
Shellharbour Airport (WOL/YSHL) – Australia
Phase:
Take-off
Nature:
Private
Departure Airport:
Shellharbour Airport, NSW (WOL/YSHL)
Destination Airport:
Bathurst-Raglan Airport, NSW (BHS/YBTH)
Investigating Agency:
ATSB / NSW Police
Confidence Rating:
Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources
Circumstances:
On October 11 2025, a Piper PA-32R-300 Cherokee Lance registered VH-JVA crashed during take-off from runway 26 at Shellharbour Airport, New South Wales. The private flight was bound for Bathurst with three occupants on board — all of whom were fatally injured.
Witnesses reported that the aircraft lifted off briefly to approximately 30 metres before the left wing dropped and struck the tarmac. The aircraft then slid off the runway and burst into flames near the threshold of runway 34. Emergency crews from Fire and Rescue NSW and volunteers from the Rural Fire Service responded within minutes, but the impact and subsequent fire left the occupants with no chance of survival.
Police confirmed that the owner of the aircraft was among the victims. ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell stated that the accident occurred within seconds of take-off and that something appeared to have gone “very wrong very quickly.”
ATSB investigators from Canberra and Melbourne were dispatched to the scene to collect wreckage evidence, pilot and maintenance records, flight-tracking data, and weather information. The agency emphasised that it was too early to determine the cause and that a final report would follow once the investigation is complete.
Sources:
ABC Illawarra, 7 News, ATSB statements, NSW Police
Carter Capner Law monitors accidents involving light aircraft, helicopters, charter flights, balloons, commuter aircraft and airlines throughout Australia and overseas to spotlight safety issues of concern to our clients and to demonstrate those situations in which they may have a right to an insurance or compensation recovery. We act for pilots, passengers, operators, aircraft owners and aviation employees worldwide. Call today on 1300 529 529 or click here to reach Carter Capner Law. Click on Client Showcase to view our history of aircraft accident compensation claims.