Pilot dies in light aircraft crash south of Townsville

[Keenaviator]

Starke isn't a field you want to have an EFATO. Something I certainly considered when I visited in my Jabbie. I'm sure Ross was doing the best he could with his situation. Laurie

 

 

[DonRamsay]

RIP Ross. I feel, like the many, many people who knew him. He was a very easy person to like. Great capability and always willing to share his vast experience. He was a thinker and knew the way to knowledge was to ask and listen and he practiced that as a two-way street. Natfly, Rathmines, Board Meetings, AGMs and all the "virtual" contacts with Ross were always such a pleasure. Never dull. He would walk in with a big smile and brighten up any room just by being there. I will miss his so personable wit and wisdom, forever. I'm devastated and I can't imagine how his family will cope. My most sincere condolences to those closest to him.

 

 

[dazza 38]

Hi all,

 

My decision isn't because of the passing of Ross, it is more to do with us having more than our fair share of accidents over the last couple of years and sometimes we as individuals need to ask ourselves when is it time to walk away.

 

I think I will take a break for a few months then I will reassess how I feel about it all.

 

 

[Blueadventures]

Very sad news, Ross as is being posted was a great person who always involved himself is all things aviation. He has assisted me with aircraft matters and quiries over the past years and he attended as many flyins and gatherings as he possibly could. He will be missed for sure but never forgotten. Lets fly with his spirit. I had the pleasure of an afternoon flight to the northeast coastal area in his pride and joy lightwing 'Miss Adventure II'. With Ross's friendship you gained a mate for life. Attached are treasured images of a flight with Ross at Old Station, it is one of his many favourite flyin events / places. This is a huge loss to North Queensland aviators and the rest of RAA and others.

 

RIP Ross and condolances to his family.

 

 

 

 

 

[Flyingphot]

I have known Ross for quite a number of years and catch up at flying events. He had a unique way of making you feel that the time you spent with him was very important to him. A very easy person to know, like and admire.

 

Jenni and I will miss catching up with him. We are very saddened. Condolences are offered to his family and close friends.

 

R.I.P. mate

 

Bill

 

 

[biggles]

I have been thinking the same Brad. I have been giving it some real thought and I think that it is time for me to hang up the headset for good.Over the last couple of years I have only been averaging an hour per month which is just barely remaining current.

What scares me is that we have lost some very experienced pilots with thousands of hours and who fly multiple times per week.What chances have I got with my currency? Not much I reckon.

 

Besides motorcycle riding takes up a lot of my time and I have been doing that for 35 years.

Dazza ,these are difficult times for us all mate , maybe even more so for the senior pilots among us. The decision to continue flying or not, is entirely yours and yours alone .I think it is prudent to remind people that most ,if not all fatal accidents over many years, have been due to Human Factors ... the old Pilot Error ,' poor decision making ' if you like . I hasten to add that I do not include this recent tragedy among those . Over the past 50 years pilots have not found any new ways to hurt themselves , they just keep repeating the same old errors ...... VMC into IMC , showing off , unauthorised low flying into power lines , fuel exhaustion, and so it goes . Most aircraft these days are structurally well designed , well maintained with generally reliable engines . Recreational aircraft cover many miles without incident over this great land, with pilots young and old , making prudent and responsible decisions along the way, generally avoiding areas where an outlanding may result in serious injury. RAAus has many pilots reaching the end of their 'economic life' and the organisation needs the younger ones, including those with a background in aviation , to carry on .Hopefully this tragic loss of our dear friend will make others realise just how unforgiving this wonderful past-time of ours can be. By the way young fella ,next year I was hoping that you would take the controls and fly the 160 YSPT -YBOA -YSPT with me in the RHS .......Bob

 

 

[Guest steve woods]

A great Loss

 

Condolences to all

 

Steve

 

 

[Yenn]

If you hang up your headset now for a think about it, you will not be any more capable in a few weeks time. think like that and you may as well stop for good. Ross is gone and we will all miss him, but what would his advice be to us? I think he would say keep flying if you are happy with that decision, give up if you have any doubts. I am sure he would have still been flying even if somebody had predicted his demise.

 

Personally I am starting to wonder how much longer I can keep flying, but any doubts I have are not due to the loss of friends, but to the diminished ability and confidence that old age brings on.

 

 

[farri]

My flight, this afternoon,in memory and honor of Ross.

 

Mt Bellenden-Ker

 

 

Graham Range.

 

 

Frank.

 

 

[Guest john]

If you hang up your headset now for a think about it, you will not be any more capable in a few weeks time. think like that and you may as well stop for good. Ross is gone and we will all miss him, but what would his advice be to us? I think he would say keep flying if you are happy with that decision, give up if you have any doubts. I am sure he would have still been flying even if somebody had predicted his demise.Personally I am starting to wonder how much longer I can keep flying, but any doubts I have are not due to the loss of friends, but to the diminished ability and confidence that old age brings on.

A previous employee of RAA who is now an employee of CASA, once stated in a RAA magazine something to the effect that ALL AVIATION ACCIDENTS ARE PREVENTABLE IN SOME WAY SHAPE OR FORM .

Once this tragic accident is thoroughly investigated by RAA & or CASA, let the so called experts with all their so called expert knowledge explain HOW THIS TRAGEDY COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED.

 

What the unfortunately deceased Pilot in this tragedy didn't know about aviation was not worth knowing whilst the so called aviation experts in RAA & CASA will now have to go back to the drawing board & come up with a better explanation than the one quoted earlier in this reply.

 

 

[Ultralights]

Hi all,My decision isn't because of the passing of Ross, it is more to do with us having more than our fair share of accidents over the last couple of years and sometimes we as individuals need to ask ourselves when is it time to walk away.

I think I will take a break for a few months then I will reassess how I feel about it all.

As people have said before, the decision to fly or not to fly is entirely yours, and also said is there have been no new ways to hurt ourselves in aviation, and a huge majority of accidents are human error, even on an airliner level more so these days, so as tragic and sad as we all are right now, im sure Ross would be up there telling us all to learn what we can from this experience to make our flying safer. I have lost friends to the stall spin on final, and others to the impossible turnback after EFATO. Unfortunately when considering how many fall victim to these types of accidents, its evident to me that our training isnt quite hitting the mark, so i personally, after previous accidents, and again after this one, took measures to make sure i am as safe as possible, by doing an advanced aircraft control course, including spinning and basic aerobatic maneuvers, and once i get my Savannah in the air again, i will do a refresher, and also concentrate on the EFATO scenario.

fortunately progress has been made into what makes a highly skilled and knowledgable pilot make the decision to turn back, and yes, it goes deep into human factors, and into the subconscious to the flight or flight response to a perceived or real danger. a lot of good people are working on finding the causes and ways to alter training to prevent such accidents occurring again, sadly, they will, but with sublte changes to training, hopefully they will become far less of an occurrence.

 

Next time you go for a fly, instead of just going on a sightseeing tour, how about practicing some emergency procedures? take an instructor if you want to, or make it a personal minima to practice a forced landing every 4th flight, or an EFATO scenario at least once on every second circuit session you do.. Hopefully Ross's legacy will be better trained, better prepared pilots.

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

Dazza I believe you are taking a much bigger risk riding your bike. At least in the aircraft you are in control. On a bike and on the road there are many many other factors on that same road that increase your personal risk. You have no control over any of those others on the road that seem to be out to get you.

 

Hi all,My decision isn't because of the passing of Ross, it is more to do with us having more than our fair share of accidents over the last couple of years and sometimes we as individuals need to ask ourselves when is it time to walk away.

I think I will take a break for a few months then I will reassess how I feel about it all.

[Marty_d]

I have been thinking the same Brad. I have been giving it some real thought and I think that it is time for me to hang up the headset for good.Over the last couple of years I have only been averaging an hour per month which is just barely remaining current.

What scares me is that we have lost some very experienced pilots with thousands of hours and who fly multiple times per week.What chances have I got with my currency? Not much I reckon.

 

Besides motorcycle riding takes up a lot of my time and I have been doing that for 35 years.

Saturday was a bad day. First I hear about Ross then a mate crashed his Triumph Speedmaster and is in the Royal Hobart Hospital with back injuries.

 

Whatever we do in life, there's going to be some danger. You could sit at home and be safe and die at 64 from a heart attack.

 

I too had a thought that this is too dangerous. I read about the deaths. But I guess life is there to be lived however you want to live it. I'm going to keep on building, then I'm going to fly. I'd like to see Ross's life as an inspiration - he flew for 45 years and died doing what he loved.

 

 

[farri]

I apologise if this is inappropriate... Years ago, a senior instructor, at Stark Field, had a student on board and was conducting a simulated EFATO, turn back to the field ( the engine was running)...Halfway through the turn the aircraft crashed, with very serious injuries to both on board...The instructor had to crawl out to get help, as he couldn`t walk...The student was a Helicopter pilot in his mid twenties and due to his injuries, later had to have, half of both legs, amputated.

 

At the time, the instructor claimed it was a "Freak Accident".......Freak accident or stall in the turn???...I know what I would call it.

 

Frank.

 

 

[dan3111]

Danza will tell you a true story . There was a raa CFI at Caboolture that often took the odd risk and did a lot of hours training and flew in any weather . He gave up flying sold all his aircraft interests and told his lunch man which was good friends with he had a dream that he was going to die in a aircraft . Well 90 days or so later got killed unloading the semi trailer the pipes rolled off . Flying is a really big part of a keen aviator life and is a massive hole to fill the so many friends to go with it it gets in your blood and hard not to look up when you here a plane fly over . Our roads are crazy full of p players ,drug users . Mobile phone users , and people that can,t drive so not safe on the ground as well . Dan

 

 

[winsor68]

A previous employee of RAA who is now an employee of CASA, once stated in a RAA magazine something to the effect that ALL AVIATION ACCIDENTS ARE PREVENTABLE IN SOME WAY SHAPE OR FORM .Once this tragic accident is thoroughly investigated by RAA & or CASA, let the so called experts with all their so called expert knowledge explain HOW THIS TRAGEDY COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED.

 

What the unfortunately deceased Pilot in this tragedy didn't know about aviation was not worth knowing whilst the so called aviation experts in RAA & CASA will now have to go back to the drawing board & come up with a better explanation than the one quoted earlier in this reply.

Ross was the second most experienced powered pilot I have flown with... and they are both now dead from crashes (not accidents) in the same circumstances.

 

 

[rankamateur]

Do experienced pilots still tell themselves "Engine failure on take-off, land straight ahead" right before they reach for the throttle? Or is that purely the realm of we rookies and rankamateurs. The last thing you hear before it happens must help keep it in your conscious decision making. Is knowing what to do just not enough?

 

Is it time for us all to revisit this thread again http://www.recreationalflying.com/threads/you-have-been-told-by-kevin-walters.40364/

 

and the wise words of the man himself

 

"Even if you did get it around, you are now coming in downwind with low airspeed, not a good situation to be in. The choice really is , A controlled crash, with airspeed control all the way, and a good flare at the end, ...or an uncontrolled crash , with zero airspeed control after stalling the inboard wing, at low altitude !..........I do like Kevins anaology of "straight ahead to the hospital, or turn back to the morgue !".......................................................Maj..."

 

 

[farri]

When I was instructing, the wife of one of my students was very concerned about her husband flying Ultralight aircraft and didn`t like it at all...At the time my student was the manager of the Nerada Tea factory, here in north Queensland... He obtained his AUF pilot certificate, purchased a Drifter from Austflight Aviation at Boonah and flew it back home, to the Atherton Tablelands, landing here first to show me his new aircraft.

 

This tragic day, a truck had come to the factory to be loaded, the managers wife was walking to the truck, it had rained, she slipped, fell over backwards, hit her head and died later that day...Her husband went on to fly his Drifter, without incident, for many more years until deciding to retire from flying.

 

Frank.

 

Ps, For those on facebook, If you are interested, Today I posted a photo of that particular Drifter with the then owner siting in it, on the Drifter Aircraft Association Society, page.

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

"Engine failure on take-off, land straight ahead" Bill drummed that proceedure into me when doing my training and if you look at any of the videos I have done I do it every single time so it is in the front of your mind always at takeoff. I do it today and will do it every time I fly. I think it is at least another way to help in the situation.

 

 

[winsor68]

I am wondering whether this was a PARTIAL ENGINE FAILURE?

 

 

[jeffd]

yes i to had spoken with ross via this forum and on facebook as well. he loved his lightwings and always had positive things to say and im sure had positive critism where it was needed as well.this goes to show u should always try to meet people when u can

 

 

[alf jessup]

What we do in that split second decision after EFATO is something of an unknown as humans, Ross as experienced as he was probably had a lot on his plate after it happened & most likely had it drilled in to his head over his 45 years that below xxx height land straight ahead but being in someone else s pride & joy he maybe didn't want to damage it going straight ahead in to trees & possible thought like many others he could make it back, who knows but we all know the sad result.

 

Every life lost of a fellow brother is hard but for me this one is the hardest to swallow as he was so passionate about aviation and for us fellow flyers in general, his tireless work as a board member even in the short time he had been, his appearance and most fly-ins, his friendly and witty nature will be missed by us all.

 

I live in the comfort of knowing that I met Ross personally 2 years ago almost today and it was a wonderful experience that I will keep

 

The aviation community and the world are poorer from his passing.

 

And my heartfelt sympathy go out to his wife & daughter and his close friends

 

 

[terryc]

I didn't know Ross personally only on this forum. I'm saddened by his death and offer my Condolences to family and friends. I too am wondering how someone with such experience could make such an error of judgement, maybe there might be some information uncovered in the investigations that we are presently unaware of.

 

 

[ExJourno]

It seems like some think it was the turn back that caused this. And there was a comment about a similar circumstance. I refuse to give the comment the credence of quoting it - but I will say it is remarkably bold to presume to make inference around skills and experience in such a way without full information being available.

 

One thing is certain. Something went wrong. Whether it was error, failure, mistaken estimation or other, it will be surmised far better by those with direct access and that means those privy to the investigation findings. It is almost never as simple and often nor is it as per, any initial news report.

 

Sad loss. Equally sad is this guess work.

 

At least it proves some will analyse without real and tangible knowledge of specifics regardless to if it is someone they know, or not.

 

I would dearly love to see, just once, a universal restraint from assumption and folks instead waiting for the report and some credible closure on the event.

 

Have at me, but some of the comments here are bloody pathetic and self indulgent. Remember, this forum is publicly viewable, not only visible to members.

 

 

[rankamateur]

"Engine failure on take-off, land straight ahead" Bill drummed that proceedure into me when doing my training and if you look at any of the videos I have done I do it every single time so it is in the front of your mind always at takeoff. I do it today and will do it every time I fly. I think it is at least another way to help in the situation.

He did the same to me to but is it uncommon in high time pilots to actually verbalise it before take-off?