Airtex Aviation

Avtex Air Services Pty Ltd, trading as Airtex Aviation, [ [http://www.casa.gov.au/casadata/aoc/download/S410586-21.pdf Airtex Aviation AOC.] Retrieved: 20 August 2008.] , is an Australian aircraft charter company based at Bankstown Airport in Sydney. Formed in 1982, the company operates passenger air charter services, airfreight, as well as air search and rescue services.cite web |url=http://www.airtexaviation.com.au/ |title=Airtex Aviation website |accessdate=2008-04-10|date=2008-04-10 |publisher=Airtex Aviation ]

Incidents and accidents

On 25 June, 2001, an Airtex Aviation Embraer EMB-110P1 Bandeirante aircraft with nine people on board transmitted a mayday call on its approach to the airport in the town of Cootamundra, New South Wales. The pilot reported smoke in the cabin, and warned passengers to adopt the "brace position". The aircraft touched down and skidded 400 metres (437 yards) with its right engine in flames. All passengers survived the crash.cite web |url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20010625-0 |title=Accident Description Database |accessdate=2008-04-10 |date=2008-04-09 |publisher=Aviation Safety Network ]

On 9 April, 2008, at 23:30, an Airtex Aviation Fairchild Metro III aircraft took off from Sydney Airport in Sydney, bound for Brisbane with a consignment of air freight. Shortly after takeoff, ten nautical miles (18.5 km / 11.5 miles) southeast of the airport, the aircraft turned contrary to instructions from air traffic control, initially to the right when the controller had instructed a left turn. The pilot responded that he was experiencing "minor technical problems". The aircraft disappeared from radar at a height of 4,000ft (1,219 metres). Local fishermen reported seeing the aircraft burst into flames before plunging into the ocean. The wreckage was located on the seabed nine kilometres south-east of Bundeena.cite news |first=Arjun |last=Ramachandran |title=Sydney plane found |url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/sydney-plane-found/2008/04/10/1207420521303.html |publisher="The Sydney Morning Herald" |date=2008-04-10 |accessdate=2008-04-10 ]

References