Controller Did Not Tell Pilot He Was Off Course

The Australian Transportation Safety Bureau said an air traffic controller's failure to alert a pilot he was flying off course may have led to an accident that claimed six lives in July 2004.

In a report obtained by the Australian Herald-Sun, the ATSB said the controller did not warn pilot Kerry Endicott that his Piper Cheyenne (file photo of type, below) was off course, despite having heard two alarms indicating the airplane was straying.

The aircraft impacted a tree-covered ridge near Benalla, killing Endicott and his five passengers -- timber company executive Robert Henderson, his daughter Jackie and three friends.

"This occurrence has demonstrated the need for effective communication between controllers and pilots to clarify any apparent tracking anomalies," states the report.

Airservices Australia chief executive Greg Russell admitted Monday the controller was at fault, but added controllers thought Endicott -- who had flown the Sydney-Benalla route often since 1988 --was merely taking a different flight path.

"I understand that this pilot flew that aeroplane on a very regular basis into Benalla and was well known to our air traffic controllers," Russell said. "They assumed he'd taken a different tack . . . and unfortunately that turned out to be wrong."

Russell added Airservices has since upgraded its safety procedures, including efforts aimed at retaining experienced controllers.

FMI: www.atsb.gov.au