Aerobatic plane nose-dived after pilot's harness failed

Key points

• A plane nosedived during an aerobatic training flight after the instructor's harness failed and he fell out of his seat, an investigation has found. The incident happened in February, 30 minutes after the aircraft left Parafield Airport in Adelaide.
• The instructor struck the canopy and suffered a minor head injury. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau found wear on the harness buckle, and said the manufacturer's inspection method could miss such deterioration.
• The operator, Flight Training Adelaide, has limited the harness to three years or 1000 hours of use.