Families of four pilots killed in Mangalore plane crash call for transparency and accountability at inquest
/ By Charmaine ManuelAn inquest into the death of four pilots in a mid-air plane crash north of Melbourne in 2020 has heard emotional statements from family members who have spoken of mental distress, health problems and loss of employment since losing their loved ones.
The collision happened in February 2020 at Mangalore, about 120 kilometres north of Melbourne.
Pilot Chris Gobel and trainee Pasinee Meeseang died when their plane collided with another aircraft carrying pilots Ido Segev and Peter Phillips.
Mr Segev's fiancee Brianna Sutcliffe broke down in court as she delivered her statement, describing how her life changed forever after her partner was taken "in a heartbeat".
Ms Sutcliffe said the accident had "ruined many lives" and her quality of life had "significantly deteriorated", to the point where she had "become numb to this world" and considered "ending it all".
Mr Segev's older brother remembered him as "the most amazing and charismatic individual", a loving brother, son and uncle, and said the pain of missing him was "beyond words".
Mr Segev said after the accident his health had declined dramatically, as had the health of his mother, who passed away this year.
"Ido's death has devastated my life and I'm still trying to find the strength to continue," he said.
Mr Segev and Mr Phillips were in a plane registered as VH-AEM, and were conducting a training flight.
They departed Tyabb Airport south of Melbourne and were making their way to Mangalore Airport in Northern Victoria.
At the same time, Chris Gobel was instructing 27-year-old Pasinee Meeseang in flight JQF leaving Mangalore airport.
The two planes collided at 11:24am on February 19, 2020, as one was ascending and the other descending.
Call for transparency into the accident
Ms Sutcliffe said she would not rest until she received transparency into the accident that killed her "soulmate".
Her calls were echoed by members of the Phillips and Gobel family.
Martin Gobel, a pilot himself and the youngest son of Christiaan Gobel, said that aviation was more than a career for his father and "was very much a passion".
Mr Gobel said there had been "a distinct lack of accountability" following the crash.
He said that four years after the incident, he was disappointed with the "drawn out" search for answers, which had had a detrimental effect on his life and career.
The court heard that Mr Gobel was no longer employed, his career was at a "standstill" and he had been forced to sell his apartment.
Mr Gobel told the inquest that there was "absolute determination" by the authorities to defend their actions.
He also read out a statement from his mother, saying the family had "given a lot to aviation" and deserved more.
Fiona Phillips, the wife of pilot Peter Phillips, asked Air Services Australia to "do better."
Mrs Phillip told the traffic control services company that it had "accountability in this event" and to "take ownership".
Questions over safety warning
Court documents state that between 11:20am and 11:22am the air traffic controller covering Mangalore Airport, John Tucker, passed on traffic information to both aircraft, informing them of each other's presence.
Soon after, Mr Tucker received a Short Term Conflict Alert (STCA) — an audio and visual alert that appears on the controller's console when two aircraft appear in proximity to each other.
Mr Tucker, who gave evidence and was cross-examined on day one of the inquest, said he did not issue a safety warning as both planes had been notified of the other's location and he expected them to communicate with each other over a shared frequency to avoid collision.
Much of the inquest probed how much responsibility lay with both the controller and the pilots.
The inquest concluded on Thursday afternoon.
A delivery date for the coroner's findings is yet to be made public.