Plane crashes at Geraldton

[Exadios]

News story here

 

 

[Guest burbles1]

EFATO - Was the fuel turned off??

 

 

[dazza 38]

Its great to know that nobody died.

 

 

[dunlopdangler]

That looked like a really nice A36...good to see pilot OK

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

Refers to pilot being the only passenger. that musta been after hitting the shed.

 

 

[poteroo]

The day after this Beechcraft A36 accident, a Cessna 150 from the same flying school suffered an engine failure - either in, or close to the circuit. It was landed in a stubble paddock without any damage to the aircraft or occupants.

 

happy days,

 

 

[kaz3g]

Shades of nostalgia!!!

 

The Burringurrah Aboriginal Community now exists on what used to be Mt James Station in the Upper Gascoyne... I know because I owned Cobra Station on its northern boundary back around the late 70's.

 

I remember an incident there which occurred during a period when the station had been "abandoned" due to the then drought and low stock prices. A part-Aboriginal guy who looked like John Wayne, complete with black 10 gallon hat and an eye patch, had squatted there and was helping himself to some cattle roaming around that and probably the surrounding properties.

 

The place was then sold to a foreign gentleman, the "Count" who arrived in a French 4-seater - damned if I can rememer the make - only to be met by the above-mentioned cowboy complete with .303.

 

Police from Carnarvon and Meekatharra were sent out as reinforcements for our one lone policeman (his patrol covered around 30,000 sq miles) and, after a short seige, the said gentleman was arrested. It was funny afterwards, but pretty serious at the time.

 

We never did see the "Count" again....

 

On Boxing day I spoke to Jim Millar who is the current owner of Cobra. He told me that the Lands Department will not be renewing his lease after 2012 and the Conservation department has already started to pull the 60+ windmills in preparation to returning it to its pre-European condition. There is no permanent water on Cobra and this action means countless thousands of birds, reptiles and mammals will perish once it dries out again. It's not a big place - around 600 sq miles - but it has an incredible history and it will be a shame to see the old homestead, the Bangemall pub and other historic sites slowly disintegrate... sigh

 

If anyone is doing a trip over that way, Jim has some very cheap cabin accommodation, takes tours around the old gold mines and nearby Mt Augustus, and leads swimming parties to Eedathanna Pool. The airstrip is only a couple of hundred yards from the pub. See it while you can.

 

kaz

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Was a nice A36. Looks like he may have had the gear up, and it landed with gear on the way down again. Will require some work but it'll be back one day..........................................................................Maj...