Pilot Killed in Accident near Moomba

[Rotorwork]

From ABC News

 

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-11-19/pilot-killed-on-outback-crash/5101194?section=sa

 

A pilot has been killed when a light aircraft crashed near outback Moomba in South Australia.

 

Police said an emergency beacon was activated about 8:15pm on Monday, about 120 kilometres north-east of Mungerannie Station.

 

A police patrol from Marree searched and found the wreckage.

 

The local man, 33, was found dead at the scene of the crash.

 

 

[Jabiru7252]

8:15pm - what light would there have been then?

 

 

[Steve Donald]

8:15pm - what light would there have been then?

The news reported the Beacon was activated at 2015 light is not an issue or indicates the Aircraft was flying the investigation will reveal what happened, God bless Luke and his Family a great young Man he will be dearly missed.

 

 

[Bluey]

Last light in Adelaide was around 20:30 on the day. So not an issue.

 

 

[Ballpoint 246niner]

Does anybody know if tis was part of a group Savannah trip ?

 

 

[rankamateur]

Does anybody know if tis was part of a group Savannah trip ?

"The local man, 33, was found dead at the scene of the crash." Maybe not?

 

 

[David Isaac]

...... God bless Luke and his Family a great young Man he will be dearly missed.

Steve,

I am even more saddened when I see a member here knows the pilot. I know too well the impact of that having

 

lost one very close friend and one associate under similar circumstances.

 

33 is way too young to lose your life.

 

Was Luke known to us here and was he a local to Maree as reported?

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

I am led to believe the accident occurred while mustering on a remote property...................Maj....

 

 

[David Isaac]

I have since found out he was a local station owners son. Tragically he had four children and lost one recently to SIDs. It was a mustering accident, he was a very experienced mustering pilot and was not found until some 2 hours after the accident by the mustering team and they couldn't get him medical help in time to save him. He died at the scene three hours after the impact.

 

Very sad all round for family and friends.

 

My son works up that way and was on that station a week ago. and heading back up that way again this week.

 

 

[biggles]

Nothing in the ATSB reports yet . Any idea what the a/c was ?

 

Bob

 

 

[Rotorwork]

http://www.sapolicenews.com.au/more-news/19110-light-plane-crash-near-moomba.html

 

It was a Savannah

 

Unfortunately there is a photo of the crash in the S A Police link above.

 

RIP Luke

 

 

[turboplanner]

Unfortunately mustering and aircraft are not safely compatible, other than flushing cattle out of hills and getting them moving. Close to the fenced areas they have a tighter turning circle, a reaction as fast as ours, and an aircraft may start in the right animal control position but overruns it in a moment, often causing a reverse action on the ground, which prompts a tighter action from the pilot. When you look at the ATSB reports, helicopters also have a high attrition rate.

 

Against this, aircraft manufacturers and distributors since the 1940's have described their products as "ideal for mustering".

 

 

[poteroo]

Unfortunately mustering and aircraft are not safely compatible, other than flushing cattle out of hills and getting them moving. Close to the fenced areas they have a tighter turning circle, a reaction as fast as ours, and an aircraft may start in the right animal control position but overruns it in a moment, often causing a reverse action on the ground, which prompts a tighter action from the pilot. When you look at the ATSB reports, helicopters also have a high attrition rate.Against this, aircraft manufacturers and distributors since the 1940's have described their products as "ideal for mustering".

Yes, that's a common cause. In the rush of blood to tighten the turn, (more often to the left), often there's too much left rudder involved, and the lower/inside wing stalls. When that happens, you're over on your back quicksmart into a spin. A vertical arrival is inevitable from 100-200 ft agl. We can't train you to recover from that. Mustering requires one hell of a lot of raw skill in flying the aircraft at as low IAS as practical and being right on the limits in all turns. It's very much akin to crop spraying where your attention needs to be 110% on the job of keeping the aircraft flying. Sometimes the priority of the job becomes the pilots primary focus, and it then only takes the smallest handling error to undo things. It's very sad for everyone concerned. I trust ATSB will be thorough and until then - it's all speculation.

 

 

[turboplanner]

Unfortunately given ATSB is not likely to get involved, we'll probably hear nothing. One report of a witness from a distance, but really all we know is in the SA Police photo.

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

I did a bit of mustering in the Drifter once....actually more cattle spotting than mustering sitting up at about 500 FT telling the guys on the bikes below where to head, to intercept the grey brahmans.

 

It is easy to become fixated on the job below though, especially when your looking out one side all the time, and you must remember your still flying an aeroplane. At say 100 FT it could be fraught with danger especially of there are thermals happening with high winds also.............................Maj.......

 

 

[Guest nunans]

Very sad news indeed, my thoughts are with the family and those around them.

 

The angle which the aircraft arrives at the ground in an accident is the big factor in survivability and by the photo it was very steep in this case.

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

Maybe this is where UAVs will slowly take over as they become more affordable and smarter.

 

 

[facthunter]

Maybe, but it wouldn't be as much fun Nev.

 

 

[503]

Maybe this is where UAVs will slowly take over as they become more affordable and smarter.

Is this where a powered parachute would be best as it's slow and there is only one airspeed (can't stall)

 

 

[facthunter]

Have you seen the crazy things people do with them? They would probably twist the cords around some low tree and get gored to death. Nev

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Unless you get out bush , people just don't realise how many of our aircraft are used daily in a work situation on stations. A friend of mine has just bought a Lightwing that has over three thousand hard country hours on it. It is certainly due for a rebuild, but it has done the job for many years, without any crashes.

 

In my experience, country pilots are damn good seat of the pants pilots, but it's a hard envioriment and occasionally there are crashes. Unfortunatly this one proved fatal for the young pilot.......................Maj.....

 

 

[turboplanner]

It's not occasional, this is the third fatality on Mungerannie Station; also, have a look at the R22 statistics.

 

 

[David Isaac]

It's not occasional, this is the third fatality on Mungerannie Station; also, have a look at the R22 statistics.

Yes Alan, the station has seen more than its share of fatalities, but they were not all aircraft accidents.

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

R 22s mustering is a whole different ball game, we all know the record of that level of activity over the years right throughout the country.........And just how big is Mungerannie Station ?...it may be the size of five regular stations for all I know. As I said prev these guys don't do hundreds of hours, they do thousands of hours, it's not as bad as ag flying , but still on the deck and dangerous !..........Maj...

 

 

[Teckair]

Is this where a powered parachute would be best as it's slow and there is only one airspeed (can't stall)

Can't quite see it myself, wind turbulence forget it.