Plane Crash north of Melbourne

[Guest SAJabiruflyer]

http://www.news.com.au/national/loud-bang-sparks-search-for-possible-plane-crash-in-melbournes-north-west/story-e6frfkvr-1226115503533

[turboplanner]

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[motzartmerv]

Not another one...terribly sad....Those clouds have rocks in them....:(

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

News this morning showed what appeared to be a Cherokee from what was left of post fire wreckage. Two deceased including 15 year old girl. Woman taken to hospital in serious condition.

 

 

[pilotdave69]

Just saw the news , 2 have died , the pilot a 65 yo man from Yarrawonga and a 15 yo girl, a woman in hospital with serious injuries. Very sad...

 

 

[Jeff Gordon]

Report on the Incident and a photo here

 

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-08-15/plane-crash-wreckage-victoria/2840538/?site=newcastle

 

 

[Bandit12]

Angel Flight.....it's never nice to hear about an aircraft going in, but under these circumstances it is always a little more sad. I do hope that this doesn't mean a new wave of restrictions, to an IFR twin level only for these sorts of flights. The organisation does such a great job supporting people in rural areas.

 

 

[dunlopdangler]

geez, what an absolute tragedy!! As an AF pilot myself, it does hit home when you see something like this, especially since one of the major considerations of each and every mission flown is that of safety.

 

 

[Spriteah]

Terrible news.

 

 

[Guest KingAir]

3 people on board, so a GA aircraft.Flying around low in the dark......and raining heavily

They were 51 km from home (Nhill)

 

Just 18 km from Warracknabeal

 

22 km from Dimboola

 

40 km from Horsham

 

I guess it will come out where the departure point was.

I think the departure point was Essendon.. very sad though :(

 

 

[Jeff Gordon]

Just horrible for everyone involved. really feel for the father losing his daughter and wife now stable but still critical in hospital.

 

 

[Guest SAJabiruflyer]

Found this on the Angel Flight Website... http://angelflight.org.au/media/2011Media/110803_Yarrawonga%20Chronicle.pdf

 

Regardless, its always sad to hear of a fellow aviator passing away.

 

 

[Guest SAJabiruflyer]

Reminds me of the old saying "There but for the Grace of God, go I"

 

 

[Tomo]

Tragic

 

 

[Jeff Gordon]

Accidents are usually caused by a series of things that go wrong in succession. I will be watching with great interest the accident investigation. Tragic as this is, there is always something to learn from it. Brett, in the Angel Flight photo it mentioned an article on the deceased pilot Don Kernot. It may be suitable to post it here in memory of his work. I will leave that up to you.

 

 

[foxy]

really sad news. sympathies to all families involved. hope the woman pulls through...

 

 

[Guest SAJabiruflyer]

It's so sad that such a generous man, who according to the article managed to run his plane while on a pension, has suffered this fate. I tried to post the article but it's too big. Anyone who wants to read it can simply click on my link above. If that doesnt work, pm me with your email address and I can email it to you. There's another article with a bit more info http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/national/loud-bang-sparks-search-for-possible-plane-crash-in-melbournes-north-west/story-e6frea8c-1226115657939

 

 

[kaz3g]

I think the departure point was Essendon.. very sad though :(

I was at YMEN last Thursday and another AF aircraft took off just before me. It was an Archer heading for Albury and I thought at the time how good it is that fellow aviators provide this public service. I sincerely hope this loss doesn't adversely impact the charity's operations.

 

Already the "experts" are commenting on the fact that it 'only had one engine' and 'shouldn't these flights be restricted to twin-engined aircraft so there is a spare in the event something goes wrong?' True!!!

 

So I rather liked the texter who sent a response to the latter comment in the following terms: 'My instructor said the only thing you could rely on with two engines is that the aeroplane would travel a bit further before it got to the scene of the crash'.

 

Vale Don Kernot.

 

kaz

 

 

[Cosmick]

A fellow Pilot, giving of himself for a good cause, a young girl. Very sad, hopefully the Mother will pull through................................ Very Sad

 

 

[naremman]

As an Angel Flight pilot and Volunteer Ambulance Officer with St John Ambulance WA living in the bush, I view this as an incredibly sad set of circumstances, alround.

 

I have seen first hand the benefits of Angel Flight, and to have completed 11000 incident free missions up to this point is testimony to the emphasis on safety that Angel Flight has always operated with. Angel Flight comes with bucket loads of commom sense, and we all know how rare that commodity is these days. It is inevitable that Angel Flight will come under scrutiny. The contribution that Angel Flight has made to those living outside the major cities must never be understated. The stark reality is that most medical specialities reside in the major cities. If you are are in the bush and you require these services, no question, you travel, by whatever means. What contribution has Angel Flight made to those 11000 patients, and their families, to convey stressed and tired people who would otherwise be on the road, or dependant on public transport, should it exist in the bush?

 

Last week I had a very good friend in my country town who is undergoing chemotherapy in Perth travel both ways with Angel Flight for treatment. In the West we are having a winter that by memory we would consider normal, but we have not seen too many of them over the the past decade. On the day of the outgoing flight, when the fronts came through even the ducks were walking, and we are are in open wheatbelt country. The AF pilot drew on many years of experience and managed to safely land here, just before we got another healthy addittion to the raingauge. A good number of cups of tea later, and a call to muggins for a locals perspective, he was able to safely deliver his passenger to Jandakot, complete with many diversions and slogging into a 30 knot headwind. A whole day tied up to deliver one passenger safely. With the great support that Angel Flight now receives, at the least the fuel used on the trips is covered. Bruce you typify all that Angel Flight stands for, and the great thing for Angel Flight is, that you have many mates.

 

There will be many processes that will have to be worked through following this tragic accident, as is appropriate. Bill Bristow, stand by the vision that you had in 2003. Nobody in the health field sets out to do further harm to a patient, but in this undeniably sad time, keep your perspective, and don't loose sight of what has been achieved thus far.

 

 

[Guest davidh10]

I hadn't met Don formally. Just a nodding acquaintance as he taxied past from time to time, and shared his wake turbulence on one occasion ;-) A very sad outcome, and whatever else you may think, his heart was obviously in the right place.

 

I believe he had a NVFR endorsement, so don't everyone get too hung up on the fact that it was past last light. The poor weather at the time may well have contributed, but ATSB have indicated they will have a preliminary report in a month and final in a year.

 

 

[av8vfr]

FFS.... Angel Flight is from my point of view is no different than a rural fire service. The volunteers are trained to handle the normal situations they are confronted but when it turns pear shaped.... is the fire service to blame???...

 

IMO they are volunteers that provide an exceptional service that benefit thousands of patients... In fact if I had over 250Hrs PIC I would sign up (currently 230hrs)as an Angel Flight pilot. If my kids needed medical assistance on a regular basis I would have no hesitation sending them up. Two engines are not what they are cracked up to be...And in the scheme of things light aircraft are reasonably reliable.. Bad luck in an aircraft is as common as winning lotto in my opinion.. (more people play lotto)

 

Just my 2cents.

 

Sometimes erring on the side of safety will see more grief than need be....

 

 

[Gnarly Gnu]

Very sad indeed.

 

I have a question - does it have to be a certified aircraft to be involved with this (Angel Flight)?

 

 

[eightyknots]

I have seen first hand the benefits of Angel Flight, and to have completed 11000 incident free missions up to this point is testimony to the emphasis on safety that Angel Flight has always operated with. Angel Flight comes with bucket loads of commom sense, and we all know how rare that commodity is these days. It is inevitable that Angel Flight will come under scrutiny.

Well said, naremman.

 

My condolences to those affected by this tragic incident.

 

 

[Guest davidh10]

You would often need room for more than one pax, I guess.

...and to be able to fly into capital cities (CTA Endorsement).

I believe the subject flight was in and out of Moorabbin at the Melbourne end.