The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has released its final report into the fatal light aircraft crash at Shellharbour Airport, concluding that the aircraft's pitch-control system was incorrectly positioned during take-off but acknowledging investigators could not determine what caused the error.
The crash occurred on 11 October 2025, when experienced pilot Andrew Connors, his wife Julianne Connors, and their friend Colin McLaughlin departed Shellharbour Airport on a private flight bound for Bathurst in regional New South Wales. Seconds after becoming airborne, the aircraft pitched sharply upwards, veered left, stalled and struck the runway before catching fire. All three occupants died at the scene.
Following a nearly year-long investigation involving examination of the burnt wreckage, CCTV footage, witness photographs, maintenance records and post-mortem evidence, the ATSB found the aircraft's horizontal stabilator—the movable tail surface that controls pitch—failed to move into the correct position after take-off. Instead, it remained in a fully flexed position that caused the aircraft's nose to rise excessively, leaving insufficient lift for continued flight.
ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell said the aircraft became airborne after a ground roll of about 400 metres before pitching up abruptly, yawing left and entering an aerodynamic stall from which recovery was impossible due to the aircraft's very low altitude. Investigators said there was very little opportunity for the pilot to regain control before impact.
Despite identifying the immediate cause of the crash, investigators were unable to establish why the stabilator was incorrectly positioned. The ATSB examined several possible explanations, including wildlife strikes, environmental factors, unsecured items inside the cabin, pilot incapacitation and mechanical issues, but found no evidence supporting any of those scenarios. The agency described the outcome as frustrating because it could explain what happened, but not why it happened.
The investigation also confirmed there was no evidence of a medical episode affecting the pilot, and earlier findings had already established that Mr Connors was a highly experienced aviator with more than 1,000 flying hours, including about 27 hours in the accident aircraft. A preliminary report released in November 2025 similarly found no obvious mechanical faults before the aircraft departed.
Investigators acknowledged that pilots are generally not specifically trained to respond to an unexpected nose-up pitch caused by an incorrectly positioned stabilator immediately after take-off. While the ATSB has not issued a formal safety recommendation, Mr Mitchell suggested flight schools and pilots may wish to consider how they prepare for rare but potentially catastrophic control anomalies during the take-off phase.
The deaths of Andrew and Julianne Connors and Colin McLaughlin deeply affected the Illawarra community, with tributes left outside the airport following the accident. Although the ATSB's final report answers several technical questions about the crash, investigators acknowledge the precise reason the flight control was mis-set may never be known.
