CANBERRA, June 6 (Xinhua) -- A fatal midair collision at Caboolture Airfield near Brisbane in Australia has highlighted the dangers of aircraft operating on intersecting runways at non-towered airfields, a government report has revealed.

According to an investigation by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) on Thursday, a Piper Pawnee aborted its landing on one of the runways at Caboolture on July 28, 2023, as a Jabiru J430 took off from an intersecting runway; both aircraft collided at 130 feet above ground, fatally injuring the Jabiru's two occupants, while the Pawnee landed safely despite damage.

Investigators found that the pilots relied on radio calls and visual scanning, known as "alerted see-and-avoid," to maintain separation. However, the Jabiru's radio was likely inoperative, and trees between the runways blocked the pilots' view of each other, the report said.

The ATSB concluded that neither pilot was aware of the other's presence until moments before the collision.

The report also noted that the aerodrome operator had not adequately warned pilots about visibility issues caused by trees and buildings.

In response to the accident, simultaneous runway operations have been banned at Caboolture, and take-off radio calls are now mandatory, it said.

"Pilots can help mitigate this by establishing two-way communication with other traffic, being mindful of the potential for radio communications to be missed or misinterpreted, and never to assume a runway is safe to use simply because no other aircraft are visible," said ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell. ■