THE CAUSE behind a light plane crashing and exploding into flames in the Hunter, killing an experienced former air force member, has prompted a safety alert.
An investigation by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) revealed fuel leaking from an age-affected o-ring, which sealed an engine-driven fuel pump, ignited and caused an engine compartment fire.
A final report into the fatal crash at Luskintyre in October 2022 was released on Tuesday and found the o-ring had deteriorated with age. A safety advisory has now been issued.
ATSB chief commissioner Angus Mitchell urged aircraft operators and maintainers to proactively replace o-ring seals in fluid-carrying components before they naturally broke down.
"Inspect the uninspected," Mr Mitchell said.
The ATSB investigation found the pump on the Mooney M20J which crashed had been in service for almost 30 years and had "likely remained undisturbed" during that time.
Mr Mitchell said if aircraft records identified a rubber-based component that hadn't been touched for long periods of time, people should take a proactive approach to replace them before they failed.
The plane at the centre of the investigation had been recently refurbished when it burst into flames and plunged into a field north west of Maitland on October 17, 2022.
It included repainting and replacing interior furnishings, which was not recorded in the aircraft's logbooks, and neither was the flammability assessment of the materials that were installed.
"While the effect this had on the in-flight fire or survivability in this case could not be determined, aircraft owners should be sure to document refurbishment action in the logbook, and include details of materials if substituted, as well as their suitability for use in aircraft interiors," Mr Mitchell said.
The Mooney M20J flight took off from Maitland at about 1.45pm on October 17, 2022 and flew in the Cessnock area for a short time before heading north east towards Luskintyre.
The pilot was expected to return to Maitland but began an emergency descent after a fire broke out.
The plane landed in a field about 330 metres short of a runway at the Luskintyre airfield and hit a line of trees, causing the aircraft to break apart and become engulfed by flames just before 2pm.
Witnesses reported seeing "smoke and flames trailing" the plane as it went down, followed by "an explosion and accompanying fireball".
The Newcastle Herald reported at the time that the pilot, 48-year-old David Jardine, survived the initial crash and was found near the burning wreck.
He suffered severe burns to 80 per cent of his body and sustained multiple fractures.
Emergency services swarmed the scene and Mr Jardine was put into an induced coma and flown urgently by the Westpac Rescue Helicopter to Royal North Shore Hospital.
Mr Jardine - a former member of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) - was fighting for life for weeks but tragically succumbed to his critical injuries in hospital 10 weeks later.
Mr Jardine was praised at the time for conducting the forced landing in an unpopulated area near Maitland when the engine compartment fire broke out.
He was remembered in the aftermath of the crash as a very experienced pilot, and a "great guy" that would be missed by his family and the wider community.
