ATSB will not investigate the crash that killed two pilots ay Kybong

The families of two men killed in a mid-air crash north of Brisbane may never know what happened as the ATSB says it’s not its job to investigate the incident.

Police at the scene of the crash between a glider and ultralight. Picture: Lachie Millard

The families of two men killed in a mid-air crash at Kybong north of Brisbane on Wednesday may never know how the collision occurred.

On Thursday, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau announced it would not investigate the fatal crash because of the type of aircraft involved.

A non-powered glider and a recreational ultralight plane crashed into a paddock on Wednesday after colliding mid-air in relatively clear conditions.

The glider pilot was 80-year-old Christopher “Bob” Turner of Caboolture, and the ultralight pilot was a 77-year-old man from Glenwood.

ATSB chief commissioner Angus Mitchell said the bureau did not investigate accidents and incidents involving most recreational, ultralight and sports aviation aircraft including non-powered gliders, gyrocopters, hang gliders, paragliders and private hot air balloons.

“We understand that next of kin and the flying community that these two gentlemen were involved in do want answers, but as it stands at the moment we do prioritise our resources to those investigations that will see the greatest public safety benefit,” said Commissioner Mitchell.

“That means large passenger carrying aircraft are at the top of our priority list and then smaller passenger carrying and commercial work, then aerial work and flying training.”

He said the ATSB would stand by to assist the self administering organisations to which the two crash aircraft belonged to — Recreational Aviation Australia (RAAus) and the Gliders Federation of Australia.

Investigators at the scene of plane wreckage at Kybong. Picture: Lachie Millard

However RAAus chair Michael Monck said they were not in a position to investigate either unless the government was willing to commit funding.

“We would be more than happy to look into it and generate some safety outcomes that would benefit the wider public if the government was willing to help out,” Mr Monck said.

“We’re feeling the pinch like every other organisation. We’re a private organisation and we receive very little funding from the public purse.”

He said his heart went out to the families who may never get answers about the crash that claimed the lives of their loved ones.

“At the end of the day when our government isn’t committing resources those families go unserved,” said Mr Monck.

Gliding Australia vice president Lindsay Mitchell said they were staffed by volunteers and not capable of conducting such an investigation.

“I’m not surprised the ATSB is not investigating. They’ve done it before. They say you fellows can take care of that, you do the investigation,” said Mr Mitchell.

The ATSB’s decision not to investigate, came as the bureau sent investigators to Canberra Airport where a Link Airways aircraft suffered serious damage from a wayward propeller strap.

The ratchet strap was left on from overnight and penetrated the fuselage as the Saab 340 lifted off on a flight to Sydney, showering three people on board with debris.

Commissioner Mitchell said it was concerning that a passenger carrying aircraft did depart with a ratchet strap still attached to a propeller.

“That’s a particular concern to us and something we will seek to understand — what were the contributing factors, why wasn’t it picked up so these sort of things can be widely understood and we don’t have a repeat of it,” he said.