Insufficient pre-flight consideration of weather conditions around Bankstown Airport, and self-imposed pressure to proceed, contributed to a visual rules pilot entering cloud shortly after take-off, an ATSB final report details.
On 15 January 2025, a pilot who held a Private Pilot Licence planned to fly a leased Piper Archer light aircraft from Bankstown to Orange, NSW, to gain command hours required towards a Commercial Pilot Licence.
As required by the aircraft operator, Basair, the pilot met with a supervising instructor before the flight, who authorised the flight to take place under the visual flight rules (VFR).
"The instructor briefed the pilot on what they believed would be the most critical weather along the route, which was near the Blue Mountains," ATSB Director of Transport Safety Stuart Macleod said.
"But the pilot and instructor did not review the local weather observations, or otherwise identify that the weather at Bankstown was not suitable for a VFR flight."
The instructor reported that they did not think the pilot would be cleared to take off by Bankstown Tower if conditions were not suitable at that time.
However, prior to take-off, when Bankstown Tower told the pilot conditions were not visual, the pilot requested take-off under a special VFR clearance, which was granted.
"The instructor had not considered the pilot may make such a request," Mr Macleod said.
"But the pilot, probably influenced by self-imposed pressure to attempt the flight despite the adverse weather conditions, proceeded to take off under this special VFR clearance, the requirements of which they were unfamiliar with."
Soon after take-off, the aircraft entered adverse weather conditions, and inadvertently entered cloud (instrument meteorological conditions, or IMC).
Mr Macleod noted this serious incident was among the 57 VFR into IMC occurrences reported to the ATSB between the start of 2020 and end of 2025.
"Eight of those 57 occurrences resulted in fatal accidents," he said, "and seventeen people were fatally injured in those accidents."
In this case, the pilot received further navigation assistance from Bankstown Tower which, combined with their flight training, allowed them to regain visual flight conditions and return to Bankstown.
"While it was a good outcome in this case, the numbers indicate how serious VFR into IMC incidents can be," Mr Macleod said.
"While in cloud, a visual pilot is vulnerable to experiencing spatial disorientation, which often leads to loss of control.
"Additionally, in this case, another aircraft operating under the instrument flight rules departed from Bankstown Airport and climbed through the same altitude in close proximity to the pilot's aircraft."
The ATSB's investigation found the pilot and supervising instructor did not sufficiently consider the prevailing weather conditions at Bankstown Airport before the flight.
In response to the occurrence, Basair is implementing changes to its processes regarding when students may request special VFR prior to departure.
Additionally, Mr Macleod noted for the broader aviation community, that CASA's Navigating the margins with Special VFR may assist pilots in their decision-making regarding when it is appropriate to request and use a Special VFR clearance.
"This serious incident demonstrates how early assessment of weather conditions combined with early decisions to land - or not take off - are still the best way to prevent these occurrences for visual pilots," Mr Macleod concluded.
You can find here the final report: VFR into IMC involving Piper PA-28, VH-BTN, 12 km north-west of Bankstown Airport, New South Wales, on 15 January 2025
