ATSB release preliminary report into tragic Ogilvie plane crash that killed 67yo pilot Eric Roulston
The pilot killed in a fatal light plane crash earlier this year texted a maintenance worker 18 minutes into the fateful flight that he was worried about the oil temperature, a preliminary report has revealed.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau released a preliminary report on Wednesday outlining the findings collected so far in its investigation into a deadly crash involving a Cessna 150 light aircraft near Ogilvie in the Mid West.
About 11.15am on March 21, 2025, a motorist reported that a Cessna 150M singe-engine aircraft named VH‑WWU had crashed into terrain in Ogilvie, about 84km north of Geraldton.
The pilot, 67-year-old Eric 'Rollo' Roulston — a stalwart of the regional aviation scene who operated a charter business out of Shark Bay — was the sole occupant of the aircraft and did not survive the crash.
According to ATSB's preliminary report, the aircraft had departed Geraldton Airport on a planned ferry flight to Shark Bay, taking off roughly 75 minutes before the wreckage was reported.
Eighteen minutes into the flight, Mr Roulston texted a staff member at a Geraldton-based maintenance organisation that had released the aircraft from maintenance three days prior.
'In the text, the pilot was positive about the aircraft's performance, but noted a slightly higher than usual oil temperature,' ATSB chief commissioner Angus Mitchell said.
'The temperature shown in the photo was towards the upper end of the normal range, but below the 240°F maximum oil temperature limit.'
Mr Roulston's text message read: 'WWU flies beautiful, smooth, and tight. Oil temp a little high for a cool day so we might have to look at fitting those coolers back onto WWU. I'd hate to see the rings suffer.'
The report stated the maintenance worker acknowledged the message and sent a reply, which was delivered to Mr Roulston's phone at 10.18am, indicating the device was still functioning at that time.
Witnesses at Geraldton Airport said Mr Roulston appeared unwell prior to take-off, and he had reportedly mentioned experiencing gastroenteritis in the days leading up to the flight. However, witnesses did not observe any obvious speech or physical impairments at the time.
'The ATSB's ongoing investigation will include the collection and review of all available medical history and post-mortem information for the pilot,' Mr Mitchell said.
'It will also include examination and review of all the other evidence gathered, including CCTV and CTAF recordings, aircraft, pilot and operator documentation, witness reports, the aircraft's maintenance history, and the evidence gathered at the accident site itself.'
Initial ATSB findings show the wreckage trail stretched about 23m. Impact marks suggest the aircraft struck the ground at high speed in a nose-down position, with no post-impact fire recorded.
'No pre-impact defects were identified and bending and damage to the propeller was consistent with the engine running at the time of impact,' Mr Mitchell said.
Weather conditions on the day of the crash were clear, with light winds of up to 5kt and a temperature of 34C.
In a tragic twist, Mr Roulston's 23-year-old son Bradleigh, also a pilot, lost his life in an another aviation tragedy while on a goat-culling operation in the Gascoyne 17 years ago.
A final report, including safety analysis and findings, will be released by the ATSB at the conclusion of its investigation.
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