Preliminary Report: Westwind crew ditches as fuel runs low

Israel Aircraft Industries Westwind 1124A, Norfolk Island, Australia, Nov. 18, 2009–While on an aeromedical flight from Apia, Samoa, to Melbourne, Australia, the crew of the Australian-registered twinjet attempted a scheduled fuel stop at Norfolk Island Airport, where weather conditions had deteriorated considerably during the course of the flight. The pilots were unable to see the runway due to the poor visibility, and after four unsuccessful instrument approaches they elected to ditch nearby before running out of fuel. All six people on board were recovered by a rescue vessel. The aircraft sank.