Meekatharra, WA, plane crash

[Exadios]

Two walk away after crash rips wing off Meekatharra plane.

[Bryon]

losing its engine bonnet in the process.!!!!!

Was it the pretty white bonnet with the ribbons and bows

 

 

[stanzahero]

engine no go... top blade on the prop is still straight...

 

 

[turboplanner]

Very observant - flight plan?

 

 

[youngster]

It was also leaking "aircraft fluid". What exactly would that be?

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

possibly hydralic fluid from the gear retract drive

 

 

[poteroo]

Out of gas? Engine certainly not rotating on ground impact.David

Reported in another forum that this Piper Mojave was forced into a go-round when a preceding Brasilia was slow in clearing the runway. Shades of an accident at Geraldton over 20 years ago when a Baron ran out of fuel on final, after having given way to RPT traffic, while keepimg his low fuel status quiet. Much better to be given a roasting by the regulator than have a serious accident.

 

happy days,

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

The Malibu has one of the most dangerous fuel-filter placements I have ever encountered, by the way. It is in a foward baggage compartment ahead of the cockpit. You almost have to climb into the cargo compartment, and there is an access panel right at the end. You remove this, and the fuel-filter bowl is way down in that hole.

 

One thing that should be easy to access and service is the fuel filter, on any plane.

 

My favorite for 'not real smart design' is the fuel-filter bowl placement in the GA Airvan. Right below the passenger seat in the passenger compartment !...................................................................Maj....

 

 

[kaz3g]

Hi TP

 

Very observant - flight plan?

If it was coming from Doolgunna Station to Meeka, it only had 120 km to travel.

 

Doolgunna was a small pastoral property north of Meeka until recently when it became a copper-gold mining resource, instead.

 

I suspect the pilot messed up his fuel calculations and ran a tank dry on final approach with insufficient time to get his turbo going again.

 

kaz

 

 

[Guest dad]

His Name wasn't nigel by any chance was it?

 

comment removed - a little close to the bone - language. Mod

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

David, I'm assuming you hit the hi-boost switch in the C206 ?.................................Maj...

 

 

[Yenn]

Why would an engine final on late final be a problem. We used to be tought to fly an approach that would allow for an engine failure and still be able to land safely. Dragging it in on the prop is not good airmanship.

 

 

[kaz3g]

Why would an engine final on late final be a problem. We used to be tought to fly an approach that would allow for an engine failure and still be able to land safely. Dragging it in on the prop is not good airmanship.

I suspect accidentally running out of fuel in the selected tank most times is not good airmanship

 

But I see many pilots in action who were trained to rely on engine power to get them around the circuit and I guess the photo shows what can happen if you land just a little bit short.

 

I was originally taught to fly glide approaches, slipping off extra height as required, but lots of modern GA trainers don't even like you doing that... C172 and PA28 are examples.

 

There's no doubt in my mind that having a little spare height up your sleeve when you turn final is a real asset... as long as you are able to dump it when it's no longer wanted.

 

kaz

 

 

[Exadios]

I suspect accidentally running out of fuel in the selected tank most times is not good airmanship But I see many pilots in action who were trained to rely on engine power to get them around the circuit and I guess the photo shows what can happen if you land just a little bit short.

 

I was originally taught to fly glide approaches, slipping off extra height as required, but lots of modern GA trainers don't even like you doing that... C172 and PA28 are examples.

 

There's no doubt in my mind that having a little spare height up your sleeve when you turn final is a real asset... as long as you are able to dump it when it's no longer wanted.

 

kaz

I watched the doctor land a PC12 the other day. He started mid cross wind at 1500' (AGL), 1000' mid down wind, 700' turn onto base and 400' turn onto final. It was just like one of our circuits - just with more airspeed. At all times in the circuit he was within gliding distance of the strip, and he did not use the engine at all. From the start of cross wind to wheels on the ground was under 1 minute. Beautifully done!

 

 

[Exadios]

Hi yenn,It is a real problem when flying a short field approach, (powered approach). Most slippery GA planes will land short if you are flying a correct short field approach into a real short field if the fan stops, because you are using minimum speed (1.3 x Vso) and power to maintain your landing aiming point. But of course if you were just practicing a short field technique and your aiming point was say one third in to the runway, a fan failure need not mean you will fall short.

I am not sure I agree that dragging it in on the prop is necessarily poor airmanship as you put it in all cases. If you are flying into a known short field and flying by the correct POH numbers that is exactly what you will be doing. Of course flying below 1.3 x Vs0 behind the drag curve with lots of power on is a technique used when the field is marginal but has its own problems and is probably arguably poor airmanship.

 

BTW, a glide approach will not get you into a real marginal field, because the landing roll will be well in excess of a defined short field approach as per a good POH (those that have them that is)

 

David

Meekathra is not a marginal field. The runway is greater than 2000m.

 

 

[kaz3g]

................BTW, a glide approach will not get you into a real marginal field, because the landing roll will be well in excess of a defined short field approach as per a good POH (those that have them that is)David

Hello David. I agree a glide approach is not appropriate when making a serious attempt to get into a marginal field, but mostly I land on something which meets ALA standards and has adequate length. The glide approach gives me that bit of extra if the noise should stop... and it's more fun.

 

A few years back I was doing an AFR in a C172 and the FI described my landings as Space Shuttle Arrivals. I think my preference has a lot to do with my early involvement in soaring as a sport as every landing is a forced landing then.

 

By the way, the Auster is exempt from carrying a flight manual because there never was (an official) one. I have a copy of a POH that was put together by Newcastle Aero Club many years ago, but the aircraft had a Gipsy in it and mine has an o-320 so many of the figures are not applicable.

 

Cheers

 

kaz

 

 

[Exadios]

From an air traffic controller friend of mine the scuttle butt is:

 

The Malibu was on final with a "Brazilian" on the runway. While on final the Malibu's engine quit. The pilot managed to restart the engine but, because of the Brazilian, had to do a go around. He had just started doing this when the engine quit again and he had to put it down on the dirt. It is not clear whether the Brazilian had just landed or was taxiing back along te runway to take off.

 

As my friend noted it is not clear why the Malibu's pilot didn't tell the Brazilian to clear the runway immediately and land then to the right.

 

 

[Teckair]

Why would an engine final on late final be a problem. We used to be tought to fly an approach that would allow for an engine failure and still be able to land safely. Dragging it in on the prop is not good airmanship.

I quite agree Yenn but a great many others do not, there was a thread started about this some time ago it referred to glide approaches and how they are safer. It is much easier to regulate your decent on final using power than what it is to a power off at a point when you think you can make the strip without using power. There was a great many excuses put forward as to why you should use power on final, someone even said jets don't do it so we shouldn't, apples and oranges of course. While it might be easier to drag it on the prop, if something goes wrong with the motor you will crash short of the strip. Easiest is not always best.

 

 

[Gibbo]

Glide approaches are way more fun anyway.. Kill the power on the start of base and see if you can put it down exactly 1/3 of the way down the strip.. Makes doing circuits way more interesting when you are on your 7 or 8 lap.

 

Landing short when there is a huge mangrove at the fence line is not an option.

 

Jets use power on decent due to the engine spin up times. Turbines approach at a 60% thrust setting but from that point it will still take them more 8 seconds to spool up to speed in a modern aircraft. The 707 took almost 20 seconds to spool up from this power setting. Props will produce the power almost instantly. The Me-262s greatest weekness was while the aircraft was on approach or just taking off. 80% of the aircraft were shot down during these phases as they could not react with the power.

 

 

[Teckair]

Glide approaches are way more fun anyway.. Kill the power on the start of base and see if you can put it down exactly 1/3 of the way down the strip.. Makes doing circuits way more interesting when you are on your 7 or 8 lap.Landing short when there is a huge mangrove at the fence line is not an option.

 

Jets use power on decent due to the engine spin up times. Turbines approach at a 60% thrust setting but from that point it will still take them more 8 seconds to spool up to speed in a modern aircraft. The 707 took almost 20 seconds to spool up from this power setting. Props will produce the power almost instantly. The Me-262s greatest weekness was while the aircraft was on approach or just taking off. 80% of the aircraft were shot down during these phases as they could not react with the power.

Gibbo you are right on the money.