Fatal trike accident at Cootamundra

Just confirmed in the online Heraldsun that 2 people have been killed in a trike accident this evening 6.25pm at Cootumundra.

I heard about this earlier but didn't want to post until the media released it, My friend at Coota called me tonight about 7pm.

Sad part is I think I know the deceased.

Very sad day for aviation and families involved.

Alf

Terrible news Alf, our thoughts are with the families. A sad fact of our pursuit is that errors of man and machine can have fatal consequences.

very sad news.

I assume this is the initial police information. Sorry to hear the news, Alf.

Condolences to all concerned. I guess we await the release of names to see if it involved anyone we knew.

I assume this is the initial police information. Sorry to hear the news, Alf.Condolences to all concerned. I guess we await the release of names to see if it involved anyone we knew.

I think you will know them also when the names are released.

Alf

Channel 9 this morning said they had flown from Temora

This article says male 50 years and female 53 years. Had taken off from Temora shortly before.

http://www.skynews.com.au/topstories/article.aspx?id=737386&vId=

Other aviation sites are saying it was a Trike that had attended Natfly.

We will know who soon. A sad end to a happy Natfly 2012.

Sue

Sue,

Yes I do believe a trike from the hanger next door to my friends up a Coota, he called me lastnight just after it happened to let me know he was ok.

They were returning back from Temora and seems running a bit late in the day, I know both of them and it's a sad end to the day.

Alf

Very sad to hear, my heart felt condolences go out to the family. I know some of the lovely guys who fly out there and i'm feeling pretty anxious right now. If anyone can give me more information about who was involved please send me a line on [email protected].

Bluey.

As one who knew both the individuals involved I am very saddened and shocked by this news. I offer my sincerest condolences to their families, friends and relatives. Our little community of weight-shift aviators has suffered a grievous and wounding loss. RIP my friends.

9 News has some footage here:

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/8448250/two-killed-in-nsw-plane-crash The other videos are of previous unconnected accidents.

Not good quality or very informative, but it is commendable that the local firies got there so quickly. They have come down in a treed area behind a property fence. Hard to get to, even harder in the dark.

Thoughts are with family, friends and the aviation fellowship, so sad.

Sue

Edit - there are now 2 videos - one at night and a very short one in daylight showing the wreckage in the windmill and on the ground. As time passes these videos will move further down the line up.

The local ABC news on-line is reporting:

It is believed the plane took off from Temora shortly before the crash, which is also where a national recreational flying event is taking place.

Recreational Aviation Australia (RAA) chief executive Steve Tizzard says it is very possible the pair had been at the event.

"In all probability they were, but I can't confirm that. I have no positive detail at the minute," he said.

A team of three people from RAA is leaving Temora to visit the crash site and assist police.

Sue

The local ABC news is reporting:

It is believed the plane took off from Temora shortly before the crash, which is also where a national recreational flying event is taking place.

Recreational Aviation Australia (RAA) chief executive Steve Tizzard says it is very possible the pair had been at the event.

"In all probability they were, but I can't confirm that. I have no positive detail at the minute," he said.

A team of three people from RAA is leaving Temora to visit the crash site and assist police.

Sue

Not good news David,I think you will know them also when the names are released.

 

Alf

The time of the accident is one of the significant factors.

Yes I do. Names have been confirmed, but apparently not released yet. Very sad. Only a few days since I was flying with them too.The time of the accident is one of the significant factors.

Alf

Yes, unfortunately the fading daylight would have been one of the key factors. Last light was 6:08pm.

Bluey.

Yes, unfortunately the fading daylight would have been one of the key factors. Last light was 6:08pm.Bluey.

Date: 7-Apr-2012

First-light: 1959 UTC

Last-light: 0820 UTC

Thanks David, I stand corrected. The time I quoted was for western Sydney not Cootamundra.

Bluey.

Terribly sad news. A couple of old club members, and committee members. Thoughts are with the Family and friends.

Frankly, ive had a gut full. Im not here to point fingers at deceased people. But I am going to point fingers at the rest of us. WTF is wrong with us.?? What sort of culture have we nurtured, where a pilot of reasonable experience, can take off into the dark FROM NATFLY.. From the bloody busiest RAA gathering in the country. Witnessed by hundreds of pilots, and no doubt the powers that be in our organisation. WTF????

I am beside myself with anger at the moment, and alot of it is pointed at myself. While I have tried my best to enhance the safety culture from within, I have clearly failed. I know of 3 possible IMC incursions on the way to natfly, all by pilots I have had significant dealings and influence on. It appears I have been beating my head against a wall the whole time.

But for ANY pilot to conceive the idea of embarking on such a flight with the whole RAA watching clearly means the culture of aimenship and safety has gone to the dogs.

One of my instructors attended the "office" at Natfly to ask about printing up some weather for his return flight home. He was met with a Blank stare, and told to remove the weather printed (off the wall) some 8 hours before, and told to copy it. He was dumbfounded that apparently he was the first person to ask for printed weather. The first person, at a well attended flyin. Is it still the LAW to carry printed copies of the WX???... The blank stares, mind you, were given by high ranking RAA officials.

Some of the accidents and incidents of recent times in Australia really do begger belief. Weve had People running tanks dry and crashing with the other tank full. We have had instructors running out of fuel on TIF's, we have had people stall and spin into water after engine failures.. We have had people letting go of controls to shut doors and crashing. And now, to top it all off, we have a pilot take off into the dark while hundreds stood back and watched.

Im over it. Ive failed. I give up.

Andy out...

You haven't failed Andy, some people refuse to accept common sense, might need to get detective inspector John to do a factual and graphic seminar at NATFLY next year on the causes to get rid of the "it can't happen to me" attitude.

As for no one stepping in to prevent an accident, I blame society for the fear of offending culture that now permeates everything

Yes I do. Names have been confirmed, but apparently not released yet. Very sad. Only a few days since I was flying with them too.The time of the accident is one of the significant factors.

I've only got this news when I got home today from Natfly. I've tried to PM you, but this forum has changed so much (and so frequently) that I haven't been able to work out how it is now done. If this is the couple I presume, they stayed with us on their 2010 Kangaroo Island trip. Can you please confirm this?

Thanks

I was enjoying a beer in front of my tent when I saw it go over head. The sun had gone down but there was still reasonable light. I know, if the sun was down they shouldnt have been up there anyway. My thought was they were going for a quick circuit. I commented that they were cutting it fine. At the end of the day, its the PIC who makes the decision. Doesnt matter how much you instruct someone otherwise, it is wholly and solely their decision. I dont feel guilty for not getting on the radio and telling them to come down nor should anyone else who was there.

Scotty

Terribly sad news. A couple of old club members, and committee members. Thoughts are with the Family and friends.

 

Frankly, ive had a gut full. Im not here to point fingers at deceased people. But I am going to point fingers at the rest of us. WTF is wrong with us.?? What sort of culture have we nurtured, where a pilot of reasonable experience, can take off into the dark FROM NATFLY.. From the bloody busiest RAA gathering in the country. Witnessed by hundreds of pilots, and no doubt the powers that be in our organisation. WTF????

 

I am beside myself with anger at the moment, and alot of it is pointed at myself. While I have tried my best to enhance the safety culture from within, I have clearly failed. I know of 3 possible IMC incursions on the way to natfly, all by pilots I have had significant dealings and influence on. It appears I have been beating my head against a wall the whole time.

 

But for ANY pilot to conceive the idea of embarking on such a flight with the whole RAA watching clearly means the culture of aimenship and safety has gone to the dogs.

 

One of my instructors attended the "office" at Natfly to ask about printing up some weather for his return flight home. He was met with a Blank stare, and told to remove the weather printed (off the wall) some 8 hours before, and told to copy it. He was dumbfounded that apparently he was the first person to ask for printed weather. The first person, at a well attended flyin. Is it still the LAW to carry printed copies of the WX???... The blank stares, mind you, were given by high ranking RAA officials.

 

Some of the accidents and incidents of recent times in Australia really do begger belief. Weve had People running tanks dry and crashing with the other tank full. We have had instructors running out of fuel on TIF's, we have had people stall and spin into water after engine failures.. We have had people letting go of controls to shut doors and crashing. And now, to top it all off, we have a pilot take off into the dark while hundreds stood back and watched.

 

Im over it. Ive failed. I give up.

 

Andy out...

I have read what you wrote and agree on most of what you say and can understand the frustration you are going through.

I myself don't like seeing the accident rate on the rise as it has done so in the last 12 months.

Our biggest problem i feel is people have the attitude "it can't happen to me it always happens to someone else" well as we have been seeing of late there have been quite a few getting the name someone else.

I also knew the persons involved, probably not as well as you did and can't understand either why they would have departed so late for home base.

There is no doubt that the time of day contributed in a very big way to their demise and only they can take blame for that.

Yes others could have said something at Temora but would that have changed the end result? that we now will never know.

You have been through a lot of late with the Jaspers Brush accident and now this and can fully understant how you feel.

I don't like seeing people die either for stupid reasons and if the trend keeps going the way it is in our orgianization we might not have the privelage to do what we love for much longer.

Everybody out there please take notice of these recent losses of fellow aviators and understand that it is not worth it if you are thinking there is a slight risk, as maybe the next one YOUR name might just be changed for that moment to Someone Else.

Alf

P.S you haven't failed and never give up

Andy,I have read what you wrote and agree on most of what you say and can understand the frustration you are going through.

 

I myself don't like see the accident rate on the rise as it has done so in the last 12 months.

 

Our biggest problem i feel is people have the attitude "it can't happen to me it always happens to someone else" well as we have been seeing of late there have been quite a few getting the name someone else.

 

I also knew the persons involved, probably not as well as you did and can't understand either why they would have departed so late for home base.

 

There is no doubt that the time of day contributed in a very big way to their demise and only they can take blame for that.

 

Yes others could have said something at Temora but would that have changed the end result? that we now will never know.

 

You have been through a lot of late with the Jaspers Brush accident and now this and can fully understant how you feel.

 

I don't like seeing people die either for stupid reasons and if the trend keeps going the way it is in our orgianization we might not have the privelage to do what we love for much longer.

 

Everybody out there please take notice of these recent losses of fellow aviators and understand that it is not worth it if you are thinking there is a slight risk, as maybe the next one YOUR name might just be changed for that moment to Someone Else.

 

Alf

 

P.S you haven't failed and never give up

Regards Bill

Gob smacked that's all I can say!

It's the ones we leave behind that are the victims and it's them I feel so very sad for because they can remember the pain of it all, over and over again.

Condolences to the family and friends.