Australian Transport Safety Bureau still investigating fatal plane crash at Coonabarabran Airport in April 2022

The Cessna 172 light aircraft crashed at the Coonabarabran Aerodrome on April 18, last year, killing a 57-year-old man inside.

Emergency services rushed to the aerodrome off the Newell Highway, shortly before 4pm on the day, after reports the plane had gone down.

Police said a witness went to help the pilot - who was the sole occupant - and removed him from the plane and performed CPR until ambulance paramedics and police arrived.

Despite the best efforts of the witness and emergency services, the 57-year-old died at the scene.

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Police were tasked with preparing a report for the coroner on the man's death, while the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) was tasked with investigating the cause of the crash, as the national transport safety regulator.

Police said at the time the Cessna had been seen flying from the same airport earlier in the day.

A team of transport safety investigators from Brisbane were deployed to the accident site the day after the fatal crash.

On the ground, the investigators were tasked with examining the "wreckage and site surrounds" and retrieved components that were relevant for the investigation which were moved to the ATSB's technical facilities in Canberra.

At the time, the ATSB said it would also analyse "any available recorded data, interview witnesses and parties with a knowledge of the flight, and review aircraft maintenance and pilot records".

In its preliminary investigation report, the ATSB said the Cessna VH-REU Aircraft - which was designed for general aviation - was destroyed in the impact.

"The aircraft was observed to strike a powerline before impacting terrain," investigators said.

"The pilot was fatally injured, and the aircraft was destroyed."

The ATSB said it expects to hand down its final investigation report in the first quarter of 2023.

"The evidence phase of the investigation will include examining the aircraft wreckage and accident site, recovering any relevant aircraft components for detailed examination in the ATSB technical facilities, analysing any available recorded data, and interviewing involved parties," the preliminary report said.

"A report will be published at the conclusion of the investigation. However, should any critical safety issues be identified at any stage during the course of the investigation, the ATSB will immediately notify relevant parties so appropriate safety action can be taken."

According to the ATSB, the final report was in the internal review stage in September last year. Once an internal review is completed, the report is subject to an external review by directly involved parties (DIPs) including individuals or organisations with direct knowledge of the circumstances surrounding the incident or accident.

"DIPs may only comment on the factual accuracy of an investigation, not its analysis and findings," the ATSB said.

"Following the external review process, the report is approved by management before being sent to the ATSB Commission for final approval. Once approved, the final report is prepared for publication and dissemination and released."

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