Overview
- The Cessna 210N left Goolwa Airport and on 6 February 2026 climbed then entered a left spin and steep spiral dive before striking the water at Long Bay, killing the three people on board.
- ATSB investigators concluded the instructor likely initiated an intentional spin in an aircraft not certified for spins and found no evidence of a technical failure caused the accident.
- Evidence from radar, video and witnesses indicates the pilot in the left seat mishandled the early recovery and the instructor did not intervene in time, leaving too little height to recover from the fully developed spin.
- The report documents a pattern of unreported spin activity by the instructor, including earlier authorisation for aerobatics in 2009, a 2022 near collision, and at least six spin events in 2023–2025 that were not reported to the operator or CASA.
- The ATSB warns that cultural and system barriers stopped other pilots from reporting unsafe practice and calls for redesigned reporting systems so operators and regulators can identify and stop dangerous flying sooner.