Jabiru down near William Creek

[FlyingVizsla]

Vaun and Sam Moncur were not injured in the incident and were taken to William Creek east of Coober Pedy about 1:30am (ACDT).

 

The men were flying from Barwon Heads to Coober Pedy when the engine of their Jabiru plane stopped 50 kilometres north of William Creek...

 

ABC news story here:

 

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/12/29/3103484.htm

 

 

[dazza 38]

I am glad that nobody has died or seriously injured.

 

 

[Guest burbles1]

Interesting that the ABC got their facts straight - the plane glided to a landing (not "plummet to earth" as others might put it).

 

 

[Steve Donald]

way off track for Cooberpedy and it sounds like the motion lotion ran out, no liquid gold on board Jesus are they lucky. man that is hard country out there could end up like Captain Lancaster find you many years later with your last words scribbled on your safety section of ERSA

 

 

[Guest Kevin the Penniless]

According to the news they had NO WATER or EPIRB. Surely to God nobody is that daft that they would fly around out there without the basic survival gear.

 

 

[XP503]

In a Jabiru!!!! Hahaha

 

 

[biggles]

For what it's worth , I just caught the tail-end of Channel 7 news , Melbourne covering this story . The aircraft shown was on a sealed road and more like a Cessna but definately not a Jabiru . The pilot's name was given as a Mr Mancur . !!!

 

Bob

 

 

[Guest Kevin the Penniless]

The photo with the Cessna was an old photo - not meant to represent the Jabiru in the story. News people do this without much thought. (Like when they showed F18s when doing a story on F111s some years ago). I still cannot believe anybody would fly about in the Aussie outback without survival gear (unless they were Germans or Japanese). Crazy, just crazy...

 

 

[kaz3g]

If the ABC's report of the pilot tourist operator's statement is correct, they had no water and no EPIRB. We all know that an EPIRB is now a mandatory item of equipment for any cross-country flight.

 

In remote areas, so is water!

 

CAO 20.11 states that aircraft flying in designated remote areas must carry survival equipment suitable for sustaining life in the area over which flight is planned.

 

People have perished in that country in not much more than 24 hours wthout water so you have to wonder, don't you?

 

kaz

 

 

[Guest 4aplat]

I would not trust the engine

+1

 

MicheL

 

 

[dazza 38]

They must never have watched Bear Grylls.No water or EPIRB.Thats asking for trouble.Glad their OK.

 

 

[Guest basscheffers]

way off track for Cooberpedy

How can you tell? There are two reasons I can think of how they ended up there: 1) navigation error or 2) they flew up to the northern end of Lake Eyre, then turned to Coober Pedy. In that case, they would have been perfectly on track if they were 50 KM north of William Creek.

I find the latter more plausible.

 

 

[Deskpilot]

Just to stir the pot a bit..............what do you expect, they're Victorians

 

As to you Jabiru bashers, you should be ashamed of yourselves. Why do you do it? A bloody good design, sold world wide and in greater numbers than anything other than Cessna's. Back Jabiru guys, even if it does come from Queensland

 

Happy New Year to one and all

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

Off the beaten track or not, it costs bugger all to put together a small survival pack. should be mandatory for all X country aircraft. If you do not have one put it on your new years list.

 

 

[facthunter]

Bottle of water.

 

I take a bottle of water with me everywhere now, especially in summer. Dehydration can occurr quickly. In the aircraft in that area about 10L would be minimum. Carry a mirror also. I am not sure where the legality of the EPIRB ended up as there seemed to be some confusion from our glorious leader(s). Common sense would dictate carrying one, but a satellite phone and leaving details of your route has been suggested many times by people who know these things.

 

Inland Australia is no place to be without water and shade in summer. Bear Grills looked pretty bad after a short while in the Sahara. If people were charged for the search costs incurred IF they don't carry these items, they might be more motivated to do the right thing. Nev

 

 

[Guest Crezzi]

I thought we were required (or is it just recommended) to take an EPIRB with us when we fly further than 50NM from takeoff

Nothing has changed since the last time this was discussed (at great length) - the CAO's exempt recreational aircraft from the requirement to have EPIRB.

 

 

[Guest Crezzi]

... should be mandatory for all X country aircraft

I fear that trying to mandate common sense through legislation is a very slippery slope !

 

Cheers

 

John

 

 

[Spin]

Jabirus and water

 

Interesting topic on a number of levels.

 

I don't have much direct Jabiru experience, but I am often struck by the differing attitudes to Jab reliability between these pages and a South African forum that I keep an eye on. Although their kits are locally produced to some extent, the engines arrive on a pallet direct from Bundaberg, so there should not be any difference and yet there is not nearly the same level of complaint regarding engine failures. It seems that the aircraft are used quite similarly, ie a mix of training and local flying for the 2 seaters and more touring with the 400 series - temp ranges there are fairly similar, only thing is their DA's can get a bit horrific, ie 6,000' at 41 deg isn't uncommon in summer!

 

Re. the current incident, I too drag water around with me, but practically speaking how do others carry 5 or 10l of water? I have an insulated container that would probably survive a fair impact in a crash, although the tap is a worry, but normal bottled water will almost certainly not survive anything more than a relatively gentle "arrival" without losing a few. On the subject of a mirror, I've used a few dud CDs for this purpose on the boat for a number of years and they seem to stand up to a fair amount of mistreatment, except that they do scratch. I've taped mine into a bound book of maps and into the folded, orange V Sheet we carry, which seems to have stopped the scratching.

 

Maybe time for a new thread with some hints and tips along these lines?

 

 

[turboplanner]

If you've been reading this with only mild, casual interest, then next time you land at a deserted airstrip, sit next to the aircraft for a few minutes before you make your phone calls etc. and to the sound of the "tick", "tick" "Tick: of the cooling manifoldget your map out and calculate the distance to the nearest house.

 

Then calculate the time it will take you to walk to the house at around 4 km per hour which you would achieve in mild, temperate, conditions.

 

Then calculate your range based on 5 litres of water per day, maybe more.

 

That should get your attention.

 

 

[dazza 38]

I did a thread about a year ago or maybe more on Survival equipment. I will try and find it.If not i will start another one Spin or someone start it.

 

 

[Guest basscheffers]

Probably the best thing to take, water wise, is one of the 10 L boxes. The cardboard outside takes the impact and the internal bladder keeps the water safe. Unless something actually pierces it, I'm sure any impact you survive, it will survive too.

 

Not very easy to take for a hike, but then again you should stay with the aircraft anyway.

 

 

[Guest basscheffers]

That would be better. Can you get those? Haven't seen them before. Of course there are 2 litre bottles; not as safe, but some will survive...

 

 

[Guest Crezzi]

Yes indeed John; and how far will "WE" go in legislating to protect the fool from himself. We are already grossly over regulated.You wait, I predict that it wont be long before we will be required to have a special OH&S certificate to 'certify' us as safe around active aircraft (oh hit me!!!!).

 

David

way off topic but you might like this David http://www.newsbiscuit.com/2010/12/03/cyclists-furious-as-council-paint-everything-else-luminous-green/

 

 

[Gibbo]

Personally the minimum you should carry out there is;

 

* PLB

 

* First aid kit with a few added extra's such as a orthopedic standard painkiller, Needles and fishing line that can be boiled or soaked in Rum.

 

* 10l of water in 1.25 litre bottles. Bottles can be reused to collect rainwater etc.

 

* Three cans of self opening baked beans.. High carb and easy to digest and the cans can be recycled into Billys etc.

 

* Lighter and water proof matches.

 

* 10m of 3mm rope.

 

* Leatherman.

 

* Flight note and stick to the plan if at all possible.

 

* couple of CD's and a bright coloured tarp with a thermal back on it for enviromental protection. Orange is not much use in some areas.. Bright Blue are perfect!

 

* Bottle of OP Rum or Grappa for the wait.

 

Water plus extras - 16kg

 

It could have been a very nasty story otherwise..

 

 

[kaz3g]

- the CAO's exempt recreational aircraft from the requirement to have EPIRB.

CAR 1988 requirements for ELTs

 

Under subregulation 252A (1) of CAR 1988, the pilot in command of an Australian aircraft that is not an exempted aircraft may begin a flight only if the aircraft is fitted with a working approved ELT, or has an accessible working approved portable ELT.

 

 

 

Under subregulation 252A (7), exempted aircraft means high-capacity regular public transport aircraft, high-capacity charter aircraft, single seat aircraft, turbo-jet powered aircraft, balloons, airships or gliders. High capacity means permitted by the aircraft’s certificate of type approval to have a maximum seating capacity of more than 38 seats or to carry a maximum payload of more than 4 200 kilograms.

 

A Jabiru with RA registration is a 2-seater and I therefore can't see it meets the definition of an exempted aircraft.

 

Under subregulation 252A (2) of CAR 1988, the requirement to have an ELT does not apply if the flight is to take place wholly within a radius of 50 miles from the first take off aerodrome, the flight is an agricultural operation, CASA has given permission for the flight, the aircraft is new and the flight is for a purpose associated with its manufacture, preparation or delivery, the flight is for the purpose of moving the aircraft to a place to have an approved ELT fitted to the aircraft, or to have an approved ELT that is fitted, repaired or overhauled.

 

Anna Plains is a long way from Victoria.

 

Irrespective of the regulated requirements re ELT and survival equipment, anyone setting off over this country at any time of the year, let alone in summer, without ELT and water has a death wish. And death by dehydrtion isn't nice!

 

kaz