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Series number: B638 Control symbol: M116/783/1047 PART 2 Number of pages: 139 Accident on C182L - Moorabbin Vic/King Island Tas - 21 October 1978 VH-DSJ TRANSCRIPT OF RECORDED COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN CESSNA 1&>L AIRCRAFT VH-DSJ AND MELBOURNE ' FLIGHT SERVICE BETWEUJ 0853 HOURS AND O913 GMT ON 21 OCTOBER 1978 Cessna 182L aircraft VH-DSJ Melbourne Flight Service Unit Word/s open to other interpretations Explanatory note or editorial FROMTOTEXT DELTA SIERRA JULIET DO YOU WISH TO EXTEND YOUR SAETIME FOR YOUR ARRIVAL AT KING ISLAND // open microphone 2 seconds // DELTA SIERRA JULIET SAY AGAIN DSJDELTA SIERRA JULIET YORE HOLDING A S ART IKE OF ZERO NINE THREE ZERO FOR YOUR ARRIVAL AT KING ISLAND ON TIME INTERVAL YOUR ESTIMATE IS ZERO NINE TWO EIGHT DYOU WOULD YOU LIKE TO EXTEND YOUR SARTIME DELTA SIERRA JULIET AFFIRMATIVE DELTA SIERRA JULIET ROGER MAKE IT ONE ZERO ZERO ZERO AFFIRMATIVE FSDSJDELTA SIERRA JULIET FSMELBOURNE DELTA SIERRA JULIET CAPE OTWAY ] (DESCENDING FOR) KING ISLAND > DELTA SIERRA JULIET MELBOURNE THIS IS DELTA SIERRA JULIET IS THERE ANY KNOWN TRAFFIC BELOW FIVE THOUSAND DELTA SIERRA JULIET NO KNOWN TRAFFIC DELTA SIERRA JULIET I AM SEEMS (TO) BE A LARGE AIRCRAFT BELOW FIVE THOUSAND D D DELTA SIERRA JULIET WHAT TYPE OF AIRCRAFT DELTA SIERRA JULIET I CANNOT AFFIRM IT IS f FOUR BRIGHT IT SEEMS TO ME LIKE LANDING LIGHTS ' DELTA SIERRA JULIET MELBOURNE THIS (IS) DELTA SIERkA JULIET THE f AIRCRAFT HAS JUST PASSED OVER OVER ME AT LEAST A THOUSAND FEET ABOVE DELTA SIERRA JULIET ROGER AND IT IT IS A LARGE AIRCRAFT CONFIRM ER UNKNOWN DUE TO THE SPEED ITS TRAVELLING IS THERE ANY AIRFORCE AIRCRAFT IN THE VICINITY DELTA SIERRA JULIET NO KNOWN AIRCRAFT IN THE FSMELBOURNE ITS APPROACHING NOW FROM DUE EAST * TOWARDS ME DELTA SIERRA JULIET lk2// open microphone for two seconds // :A9DSJFSDELTA SIERRA JULIET IT SEEMS TO ME THAT HES PLAYING SOME SORT OF GAME HES FLYING OVER ME > TWO THREE TIMES AT A TIME AT SPEEDS I COULD NOT IDENTIFY DELTA SIERRA JULIET ROGER WHAT IS YOUR ACTUAL DSJFSMY LEVEL IS FOUR AND A HALF THOUSAND FOUR FIVE ZERO ZERO DSJDELTA SIERRA JULIET AND CONFIRM YOU CANNOT IDENTIFY THE AIRCRAFT FSAFFIRMATIVE - FSDSJDELTA SIERRA JULIET ROGER STANDBY ' MELBOURNE DELTA SIERRA JULIET ITS NOT AN AIRCRAFT IT IS // open microphone for two seconds // FSDSJDELTA SIERRA JULIET MELBOURNE CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE ER AIRCRAFT DELTA SIERRA JULIET AS ITS FLYING PAST ITS A I/DNG SHAPE // open microphone for three seconds // (CANNOT) IDENTIFY MORE THAN (THAT IT HAS SUCH SPEED) // open microphone for 3 seconds // BEFORE ME RIGHT NOW MELBOURNE DELTA SIERRA JULIET ROGER AND HOW LARGE WOULD THE ER OBJECT BE DSJFSDELTA SIERRA JULIET MELBOURNE IT SEEKS LIKE ITS STATIONARY. WHAT IM DOING RIGHT NOW IS ORBITING AND THE THING IS JUST ORBITING ON TOP OF ME ALSO ITS GOT A GREEN LIGHT AND SORT OF METALLIC (LIKE) ITS ALL SHINY (ON) THE OUTSIDE DELTA SIERRA JULIET DELTA SIERRA JULIET // open microphone for 5 seconds // ITS JUST VANISHED DELTA SIERRA JULIET FSMELBOURNE WOULD YOU KNOW WHAT KIND OF AIRCRAFT IVE GOT IS IT (A TYPE) MILITARY AIRCRAFT DELTA SIERRA JULIET CONFIRM THE ER AIRCRAFT JUST VANISHED SAY AGAIN DELTA SIERRA JULIET IS THE AIRCRAFT STILL WITH DELTA SIERRA JULIET (ITS AH NOR) // open microphone 2 seconds // (NOW) APPROACHING FROM THE SOUTHWEST DELTA SIERRA JULIET DELTA SIERRA JULIET THE ENGINE IS IS ROUGH IDLING IVE GOT IT SET AT TWENTY THREE TWENTY FOUR AND THE THING IS (COUGHING) DELTA SIERRA JULIET ROGER WHAT ARE YOUR INTENTIONS MY INTENTIONS ARE AH TO GO TO KING ISLAND AH MELBOURNE THAT STRANGE AIRCRAFT IS HOVERING ON TOP OF ME AGAIN // two second open microphone // IT IS HOVERING AND ITS NOT AN DELTA SIEHHA JULIET DELTA SIERRA JULIET MELBOURNE // 1? seconds open microphone // DELTA SIERRA JULIET MELBOURNE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANOPOAT ^ AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION SUMMARY REPORT Rtftrtnu No i inriTinu nF OCCURRENCErz--------1 2, THE AIRCRAFT ItoLt td <<* I Cessna 182L Rfiatfati*n CorliiicoU of Airworthinatt Valid from 14 February 1968 Caeifkota of 1*9 uHolton iiivod to Cephus Day, 33 Reserve Road, SAS Southern Air Services, Northern Avenue, Dffrto of domoga lo *ircraf Oth*> prop*rty domofl*d Do facta diacov*rod Loti or iitlondod doporiwf* point Tmo of doporiwf* 1819 hours Haat point of mtandad landing King Island Purpeao of flight Clot* of eporotion 4 THE CREW Clott of liconca How** on typo Totol hour* Dagro* of m|uy Frederick VALENTI CH Presumed Fatal 5. OTHER PERSONS (All R im <n and ptnont InjufJ on ground) D*gr* of injury Dagroa of m|u') 6. RELEVANT EVENTS The pilot obtained a Class Four instrument rating on 11 May 1978 and he was therefore authorised to operate at night in visual meteorological conditions (VMC). On the afternoon of 21 October 1978 he attended the Moorabbin Briefing Office, obtained a meteorological briefing and, at 1723 hours, submitted a flight p an for a night VMC flight from Moorabbin to King Island and return. The cruising altitude nominated in the flight plan was below 5000 feet, with estimated time intervals of 41 minutes to Cape Otway and 28 minutes from Cape Otway to King Island. The total fuel endurance was shown as 300 minutes. The pilot made no arrange ments for aerodrome lighting to be illuminated for his arrival at King Island. He advised the briefing officer and the operator's representative that he was uplifting friends at King Island and took four life jackets in the aircraft with him. The aircraft was refuelled to capacity at 1810 hours and departed Moorabbin at 1819 hours. After departure the pilot established two-way radio communications with Melbourne Flight Service Unit (FSU). The pilot reported Cape Otway at 1900 hours and the next transmission received from the aircraft was at 1906:14 hours. The following communications between the aircraft and Melbourne FSU were recorded from this time: (Note: The word/words in brackets are open to other interpretations.) MELBOURNE this is DELTA SIERRA JULIET is there any known traffic below five thousand DELTA SIERRA JULIET no known traffic DELTA SIERRA JULIET I am seems (to) be a large aircraft below five thousand 6. RELEVANT EVENTS (contd) TIMEFROMTEXT D D DELTA SIERRA JULIET what type of aircraft is it DELTA SIERRA JULIET I cannot affirm it is four bright it seems to me like landing lights FSUDELTA SIERRA JULIET MELBOURNE this (is) DELTA SIERRA JULIET the aircraft has just passed over over me at least a thousand feet above DELTA SIERRA JULIET roger and it it is a large aircraft confirm :47v h-dsj er unknown due to the speed it's travelling is there any airforce aircraft in the DELTA SIERRA JULIET no known aircraft in the vicinity MELBOURNE it's approaching now from due east towards me DELTA SIERRA JULIET // open microphone for two seconds // DELTA SIERRA JULIET it seems to me that he's playing some sort of game he's flying over me two three times at a time at speeds I could not identify DELTA SIERRA JULIET roger what is your actual level my level is four and a half thousand four five zero zero DELTA SIERRA JULIET and confirm you cannot identify the aircraft VH-DSJaffirmative FSUDELTA SIERRA JULIET roger standby MELBOURNE DELTA SIERRA JULIET it's not an aircraft it is // open microphone for two seconds // DELTA SIERRA JULIET MELBOURNE can you describe the er aircraft DELTA SIERRA JULIET as it's flying past it's a long shape // open microphone for three seconds // (cannot) identify more than (that it has such speed) // open microphone for 3 seconds // before me right now Melbourne DELTA SIERRA JULIET roger and how large would the er object be DELTA SIERRA JULIET MELBOURNE it seems like it's stationary what I'm doing right now is orbiting and the thing is just orbiting on top of me also it's got a green light and sort of metallic (like) it's all shiny (on) the outside DELTA SIERRA JULIET ' 6, RELEVANT EVENTS (contd) DELTA SIERRA JULIET // open microphone for 5 seconds // it's just vanished DELTA SIERRA JULIET MELBOURNE would you know what kind of aircraft I've got is it (a type) military DELTA SIERRA JULIET confirm the er aircraft just vanished DELTA SIERRA JULIET is the aircraft still with you : 2 3VH-DSJ DELTA SIERRA JULIET (it's ah nor) // open microphone 2 seconds // (now) approaching from the southwest DELTA SIERRA JULIET DELTA SIERRA JULIET the engine is is rough idling I've got it set at twenty three twenty four and the thing is (coughing) DELTA SIERRA JULIET roger what are your intentions my intentions are ah to go to King Island ah Melbourne that strange aircraft is hovering on top of me again // two seconds open microphone // it is hovering and it' s not an aircraf t DELTA SIERRA JULIET DELTA SIERRA JULIET MELBOURNE // 17 seconds open microphone // DELTA SIERRA JULIET MELBOURNE There is no record of any further transmissions from the aircraft. The weather in the Cape Otway area was clear with a trace of stratocumulus cloud at 5000 to 7000 feet, scattered cirrus cloud at 30000 feet, excellent visibility and light winds. The end of daylight at Cape Otway was at 1918 hours. The Alert Phase of SAR procedures was declared at 1912 hours and, at 1933 hours when the aircraft did not arrive at King Island, the Distress Phase was declared and search action was commenced. An intensive air, sea and land search was continued until 25 October 1978, but no trace of the aircraft was found. The reason for the disappearance of the aircraft has not been determined. public ot'pn (A. ft. Woodward) Dalagata of tht Sacralory C O M M O N W E A LT H OF AU ST R ALIA BUREAU OF AIR SAFETY INVESTIGATION TELEX. 62221 POSTAL A D D R E S S : G.P.O. BOX 367 C A N B E R R A ACT. 2601 Mr Francis Farvis 149 Condamine Street BALGOWLAH NSW 2093 Dear S ir I refer to your le tte r of 23 January 1988 concerning the disappearance of VH-DSJ in October 1978. I regret the delay in reply which has been due to the need to obtain the f il e s from archives. Enclosed is a copy of the Summary Report which w ill answer many of your questions. A s.fa r as th is Bureau is aware no trace of the a ir c ra ft has been found so far. Yours fa it h fu lly J C HOPKINS fo r Director - DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATIONS With Compliments Wj c t -SS<S^ I ~svcCctL^- / ^ V i fn rw h C ii f c r V i s c * -h ^ A c A A ^JiAttA*cA f* TAmjsA o''v--aof / -'V e ^ r'c js l/# (e-n hicJij ^ r > < -^ Department of Transport, Mr. A. T. Brunt 4 Hyland Tee Rosslyn Park 3rd August 1982 Aircraft Accident Investination Your reference VI16/783/1047 concerning the disappearance of Aircraft VH-DSJ over Bass Strait on 21/10/78. My field of expertise is in the Meteorological area but I have had some experience in the investigation of what are reported as U.F.O. sightings. Hence my interest in this incident. I know that the meteorological situation would have been routinely covered in the original acciaent investigation but I decided to reassess the situation with a view to checking on its suitability for meteorological optics, e.g. the bending of light rays. I found as follows:- Synoptic Situation 6 p.m. E.S.T. 21/10/78 There was a large high pressure area (central pressure approximately 1027 mbs) elongated N/S just o ff the N.S.W coast. There was a pronounced ridge of high pressure extending westwards from this through Victoria and the northern half of Bass Strait, reaching as far west as Adelaide and Ceduna. Consistent with the location of this ridge, Laverton radiosonde flight at 9_p.ni. 21/10/78 (the nearest available fligh t) showed a moderate subsidence inversion of 3 degrees C from approximately 7000ft to approx. 8000ft (see attached copy of temperature trace). This could have caused some bending of light rays such that any light source viewed through the inversion would be visible for a longer period than normal. _ Flying conditions appeared to have been quite good with light winds, lit t le cloud, excellent v isib ility and smooth seas. The reported weather conditions, based on transmitted data and not on the original records, were as follows Time (EST) Sea Conditions Cape Otway 6 p.m.Calm Cape Otway Currie,King Currie,King Is. 9 p.m.N Ik The moon was not due to rise t i l l about 11 p.m. on 21/10/78, so this would not have been a factor in any error in identification. There have been cases where pilots have taken evasive action because of unidentified lights approaching on what appeared to he a collision course. The attached photo-copy of the Army Helicopter Incident, extracted from "U.F.O's Explained" by Philip J.Klass , provides a good example. Although it did not result in an aircraft accident, it had the potential for one as the crew's evasive action brought the helicopter to within **00ft of the ground. Also, i t involved the sighting of a fireball-meteor for a period much less than the ips Strait example. Nevertheless, i t is similar in many ways, e.g. the gallic look which agrees with the "grey metallic structure" seen by -Je helicopter crew; also, the apparent hovering overhead. Although the time spans are different, examination of the text of the communications between the aircraft and Melbourne FSU shows that the alleged U.F.O. was not visible continuously. It seems that there were three appearances :- (i) from about 1906 to 1907.30, then it "passed overhead". (ii) from about 1908.30 to 1910.30, then the pilot reported that "it just vanished". ( i i i ) from 1912 onwards. This type of sighting is consistent with a multiple meteor observation or a "meteor shower" with, not just one, but several phenomena in procession. The astronomical literature includes many of these cases. There are also cases of meteors moving relatively slowly and being visible for minutes rather than seconds. For example:- (i) From "Remarkable Meteor" in English Mechanic 1668. "A remarkable meteor was seen at the Radcliff Observatory at 9.50 p.m........... The time it was visible must have been nearly four minutes" ( i i ) "The Remarkable Meteors of February 9, 1913" by W.F.Denning in Nature. "Mr W.W.Waddell, firs t mate of the S.S. Newlands saw a brilliant stream of meteors passing from NW TO SE during a period of six minutes." ( i i i ) "The Meteoric Procession of February 9,1913" by W.H.Pickering in Popular Astronomy. "It consisted of a procession of fireballs and meteors all, moving very slowly in practically