The final moments of a flight in far north Queensland were "unexceptional and quite normal" before the aircraft ploughed into a sand dune claiming the lives of all five people on board.
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QBuild workers Wayne Ganter, 63, Henry Roebig, 62, Wayne Brischke, 57, contractor Mark Rawlings, 49, and pilot Stuart Weavell, 36, died when the Cessna 404 crashed on approach at the Lockhart River aerodrome on March 11, 2020.
An inquest into the tragedy is under way in Cairns with coroner Nerida Wilson to examine the training and experience of the pilot during the five days hearing.
It was a journey Mr Weavell had piloted a number of times before, the court was told.
That day, the five men had flown from Cairns and the crash happened upon a second landing attempt in poor visibility.
"It has been three years, I'm acutely aware of that," the coroner said opening the inquest on Monday.
"I'm acutely aware, having been the coroner here for a number of years, that this crash has caused enormous suffering, both for the families and the ripple effect in the township of Lockhart River which, as we know, has now suffered two tragedies as a result of plane crashes.
"So let's see together if we can make some meaning. I can't make those promises but I absolutely eternally hope that we can."
Ms Wilson will also probe the circumstances of the flight, the pilot's training, operator Air Connect Australia's safety procedures, policy surrounding terrain avoidance warning systems, and how similar accidents could be avoided.
Counsel assisting Ian Harvey said final transmissions from the pilot between 9.07am and the time of impact at 9.20am were nothing out of the ordinary.
"The flight was affected by inclement weather with areas of cloud and rain significantly reducing visibility for a pilot seeking to land at Lockhart River aerodrome that morning," Mr Harvey said.
"The pilot made a number of broadcasts ... quite unexceptional, quite normal and quite appropriate calls for a pilot to make at that particular junction."
Mr Harvey described the fatal flight as continuing in a controlled manner.
"Shortly before 9.20 that morning, the aircraft impacted the sand dunes ... all those on board were fatally injured and due to the impact forces, the accident was not survivable."
Mr Harvey said the inquest would hear from fellow pilots and investigators, but it was hoped the hearing could help prevent similar tragedies.
An Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) investigation found the aircraft was being flown about 1000ft below the recommended height before it crashed.
It was also travelling at 150 knots - about 280km/h - at the point of impact, a speed "inappropriate" for the position.
However, the pilot had been in control until the point of impact, and there was no evidence of mechanical problems in the lead-up to the accident.
The ATSB found the pilot had probably failed to check the Cessna's height and tried to land it solo in very poor visibility.
"Overall, misreading the altimeter by 1000 feet appears to be the most likely scenario, although there was insufficient evidence to provide a definitive conclusion," the ATSB found
The ATSB said its probe highlighted the importance of terrain avoidance and warning systems in helping pilots in poor visibility.
In 2005, 15 people aboard a Metroliner aircraft travelling from Bamaga to Cairns were killed when it slammed into a mountain at Lockhart River.
Australian Associated Press
