Tragic cause of Merriton light plane accident that killed Ben Mumford and his ... trends now
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A fatal plane crash that killed a father and son was caused by the aircraft hitting a stray powerline, a new report has revealed.
Ben Mumford, 50, and his son Charlie, 24, died when their Cessna 172N plane crashed near their Merriton property, 190km north of Adelaide, at 4:15pm on October 8, 2023.
Mr Mumford was airlifted to the Royal Adelaide Hospital in a critical condition where he later died. His son was pronounced dead at the scene.
An Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) report has revealed that Mr Mumford collided with a single-wire aerial powerline as he attempted to land which caused the plane to crash into the ground and burst into flames.
The report found that the stray powerline was 8.5metres off the ground and because of its position at the end of the runway, increased the likelihood of a crash.
A plane piloted by Ben Mumford and his son, Charlie, crashed after hitting a solitary powerline during their landing
The runway - on a private piece of land owned by Mr Mumford - was surrounded by grass and the ATSB's chief commissioner Angus Mitchell found that Mr Mumford likely lost track of the powerline while landing.
