Plane on medical flight to Albury lost power, went into yaw

The Pel-Air Beechraft plane departed Essendon Fields Airport for the Border on August 19 last year to pick up a patient.

The business conducts flights on behalf of Ambulance Victoria.

There was an unexpected reduction in power during the take-off which caused the plane to rotate in a yaw.

The pilot worked to maintain control before realising the left engine had moved to idle.

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The flight continued to Albury without any further issues after the problem was fixed.

The matter was reported to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau for investigation.

Aviation investigators noted the operator has given fresh training to all pilots using the type of plane involved following the incident.

Specific training focused on friction locks, which keep power levers in place, and take-off checklists were modified.

"This incident highlights the importance of having a detailed understanding of the characteristics that may be specific to an aircraft type," an ATSB report found.

"In the case of the King Air series of aircraft, the design of the power lever system meant that the friction locks required careful adjustment to prevent power lever migration particularly during take-off."

A safety advisory notice was sent to aircraft operators following the incident noting steps to prevent the problem from occurring.

The advisory noted the issue "can result in catastrophic outcomes" at low height.

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