RAYTHEON BEECH KING AIR B200, WERNADINGA STATION, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA, SEPT. 4, 2000–Investigators were unable to find the cause of the pilot’s apparent hypoxia incapacitation. However, investigators did have an eight-minute tape of open-microphone transmissions that revealed “the progressive deterioration of the pilot toward unconsciousness.” Along with the pilot, seven passengers perished, and it appears all were unconscious for most of the flight.
The King Air, registered as VH-SKC, departed Perth at 1009 UTC for what was to be a 25-min flight to Leonora. Controllers gave clearance for the climb to 13,000 ft after departure. As the aircraft passed through 7,500 ft the controllers asked the pilot if he could reach 16,000 ft by 36 nm from Perth. The pilot responded that he could and controllers cleared him to FL 250 with the climb restriction as a condition. At 1020, controllers cleared the pilot to debra intersection, and the pilot responded and complied. Some 13 min later controllers saw the aircraft climb through 25,600 ft and asked the pilot to confirm his altitude. His response was “Sierra Kilo Charlie-um-standby.”
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