Cessna 172 accident near Ballarat, Australia, Au, September 8, 2015
On September 8, 2015 at about 3:42 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered VHZEW, was destroyed in an accident near Ballarat, Australia. 1 person was killed.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 8, 2015 · about 3:42 pm local time
- Place
- Ballarat, Australia, Australia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 S · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- VHZEW · no longer on the register · serial 172S11079
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On September 8, 2015, at 1542 local time, a Cessna 172S, VH-ZEW, collided with terrain near Ballarat, Australia. The airplane was being operated under the pertinent civil regulations of the Government of Australia. The airplane was destroyed and the pilot, the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The investigation is under the jurisdiction of the Government of Australia. This report is for information purposes only and contains only information released by the Government of Australia. Further information pertaining to this accident may be obtained from: Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) P.O. Box 967, Civic Square Canberra A.C.T. 2608 Australia Tel: +612 6274 6054 Fax: +612 6274 6434 www.atsb.gov.au
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Unknown or undetermined during unknown defining event
The aircraft
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Textron Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 0 hours total
- Not recorded
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.