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An alleged misjudgement by a stunt plane in the lead-up to the 2024 Bathurst 1000 race is now being investigated by two commonwealth authorities.
Authorities have begun investigating an incident involving the stunt plane, which was part of the pre-race entertainment for the 2024 Bathurst 1000 motor race.
According to The Australian newspaper, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has launched an investigation into the incident, which saw the tail of the stunt plane appearing to strike a wall after landing on the racetrack – with debris visible to television viewers.
The stunt pilot Hayden Pullen had been tasked with delivering the Peter Brock Trophy prior to the Bathurst 1000 – arguably the biggest annual event on the V8 Supercars Championship calendar – with the incident caught on live TV, and later being shared widely on social media.
Pullen did not exit the cockpit to inspect the damage, and took off shortly after delivering the trophy.
It's understood the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) opened its own investigation in the days following the race, Speedcafe reported at the time.
While the ATSB is tasked with investigating aviation, marine, and rail matters, CASA is the national authority responsible for managing aviation and airspace in Australia – and has the power to suspend or cancel pilot licences.
CASA's investigation into the Bathurst matter is looking into alleged "serious, wilful or repeated disregard of the aviation rules," The Australian reports.
It's understood CASA has applied to the Federal Court for more time to complete its inquiry into Pullen's actions on the day.
Ben Zachariah is an experienced writer and motoring journalist from Melbourne, having worked in the automotive industry for more than two decades. Ben began writing professionally more than 15 years ago and was previously an interstate truck driver. He completed his MBA in Finance in early 2021 and is considered an expert on classic car investment.
