This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Sixty-three Victorian-made planes have been grounded in Australia after a fatal crash in Sweden that killed nine people.

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority has suspended operations of GippsAero GA8 aircraft after the accident in Umeo on 14 July. No one on board survived the crash.

The GA8 is manufactured in Australia by GippsAero, which is based in the Latrobe Valley.

CASA said in a statement it had temporarily suspended all flights pending the outcome of an investigation by Swedish and European authorities.

The suspension will be for up to 15 days from 20 July to midnight 3 August and affects all GA8 aircraft operating in Australia and all Australian-registered GA8 aircraft operating overseas. There are 63 GA8 aircraft registered in Australia out of a worldwide fleet of 228.

The GA8 is a single-engine high-wing aeroplane with fixed tricycle landing gear. In Australia, the GA8 is used in a range of operations including charter, aerial work and parachuting.

“CASA has written to all Australian operators of GA8 aircraft advising them of the temporary suspension and reminding them of their obligation to comply with all applicable GA8 airworthiness directives issued by CASA,” a spokesman said.

“CASA has also written to all national aviation authorities who have GA8 aircraft operating in their jurisdiction advising them that CASA has imposed a 15-day temporary operating suspension on these aircraft.”

CASA said the authority had been working closely with Sweden and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency.

It said in response to the temporary suspension of GA8 operations in Australia, EASA had issued an emergency airworthiness directive to European GA8 aircraft owners and operators to not operate the aeroplane except for ferry flights.

CASA has also sent an airworthiness engineer to Sweden to observe the accident investigation and collect safety information.

The authority said GippsAero held a production certificate issued by CASA to manufacture the GA8 and the company was subject to regular surveillance and safety checks by CASA.

The aircraft type was certified in 2000 by CASA for normal operations, which includes skydiving.