ATSB Report - Maule v Wires, Casino NSW April 2014

[poteroo]

Final Report: AO-2014-068 Wirestrike involving Maule M-5 VH-HOG 50nm WSW Casino NSW 12/4/14.

 

A 'spur-of-the-moment' decision to low fly along the Clarence River resulted in a fatal collision with a power line spanning the river. The report ascribes the cause to the pilots decision to fly lower than 500 ft agl, and to the fact that the pilot was both unqualified in low level flight, and had received no training in this category of flight.

 

Once again, it beggars belief that an unqualified pilot would fly a full load of passengers so low, along terrain with which he was not familiar.

 

 

[turboplanner]

It doesn't beggar belief for me, it happens way too often. On a recent trip to Queensland we'd just set up the caravan for the night and a trike came buzzing through below the highest trees.

 

 

[Cooda]

I still remember being held up north of Elliott on the Stuart Hwy for several hours while they recovered the four bodies from the C172 that had found the only wire crossing the highway for 400 km.

 

 

[old man emu]

I worked on HOG many times for the previous owner. We did a full fuselage recover when we found that the battery had leaked acid onto the belly fabric. I spent hours with steel wool and MEK cleaning the frame. I was so sad to hear that it had been destroyed.

 

OME

 

 

[turboplanner]

http://www.echo.net.au/2014/08/pilot-charged-manslaughter-ewingar-crash/