Parafield collision

[pmccarthy]

News just in of a collision on the ground at Parafield around 4pm. Apparently one of the pilots was not in his plane when it occurred.

 

 

[JEM]

News photo

 

No Cookies | The Advertiser

 

 

[SDQDI]

Article says both were unoccupied.

 

Hand turning gone wrong?

 

 

[Happyflyer]

ABC reporting owner of Cessna killed in hand start incident. Plane then collided with another.

 

 

[facthunter]

Dangerous stuff. Sad ..... Nev

 

 

[Ungrounded]

Are there some Cessna's without starter motors?

 

Or just a case of accidental start while moving prop during pre-flight inspection - live mag?

 

 

[onetrack]

Yes, it appear a hand-propping went seriously wrong. It's sad, that someone who was plenty old enough to know the ropes, has paid the ultimate price for an apparent failure to abide by some very basic safety rules.

 

Machines have no hesitation in killing you in milliseconds if you disobey basic safety tasks.

 

The Secret of the Machines - by Rudyard Kipling

 

We were taken from the ore-bed and the mine,

 

We were melted in the furnace and the pit—

 

We were cast and wrought and hammered to design,

 

We were cut and filed and tooled and gauged to fit.

 

Some water, coal, and oil is all we ask,

 

And a thousandth of an inch to give us play:

 

And now, if you will set us to our task,

 

We will serve you four and twenty hours a day!

 

We can pull and haul and push and lift and drive,

 

We can print and plough and weave and heat and light,

 

We can run and race and swim and fly and dive,

 

We can see and hear and count and read and write!

 

Would you call a friend from half across the world?

 

If you’ll let us have his name and town and state,

 

You shall see and hear your crackling question hurled

 

Across the arch of heaven while you wait.

 

Has he answered? Does he need you at his side?

 

You can start this very evening if you choose,

 

And take the Western Ocean in the stride

 

Of seventy thousand horses and some screws!

 

The boat-express is waiting your command!

 

You will find the Mauretania at the quay,

 

Till her captain turns the lever ’neath his hand,

 

And the monstrous nine-decked city goes to sea.

 

Do you wish to make the mountains bare their head

 

And lay their new-cut forests at your feet?

 

Do you want to turn a river in its bed,

 

Or plant a barren wilderness with wheat?

 

Shall we pipe aloft and bring you water down

 

From the never-failing cisterns of the snows,

 

To work the mills and tramways in your town,

 

And irrigate your orchards as it flows?

 

It is easy! Give us dynamite and drills!

 

Watch the iron-shouldered rocks lie down and quake

 

As the thirsty desert-level floods and fills,

 

And the valley we have dammed becomes a lake.

 

But remember, please, the Law by which we live,

 

We are not built to comprehend a lie,

 

We can neither love, nor pity - nor forgive.

 

If you make a slip in handling us - you die!

 

We are greater than the Peoples or the Kings—

 

Be humble, as you crawl beneath our rods!-

 

Our touch can alter all created things,

 

We are everything on earth - except The Gods!

 

Though our smoke may hide the Heavens from your eyes,

 

It will vanish and the stars will shine again,

 

Because, for all our power and weight and size,

 

We are nothing more than children of your brain!

 

 

[turboplanner]

Are there some Cessna's without starter motors?

There are batteries which go flat; and pull throughs, and just grabbing the prop to move the aircraft.

 

 

[spacesailor]

Perhaps forgot to set the Park brake, before hand propping.

 

If nobody witness the accident we wont know .

 

spacesailor

 

 

[kaz3g]

Without presupposing the cause of this tragedy, when employing an Armstrong starter, then

 

• Set the brake
   
   
  
• Chock the wheels or tie the tail down
   
   
  
• Have a qualified person in the pilot's seat
   
   
  
• Start on the impulse mag
   
   
  
• Step out of the arc of the prop
   
   
  

 

 

Kaz

 

 

[Happyflyer]

Maybe he was just pulling he prop through like this guy.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFqDZagVeJU

 

 

[turboplanner]

Looks like there will be some witnesses: No Cookies | Herald Sun

 

 

[facthunter]

The "impulse" function of the magneto. (usually one of two) will give a retarded full strength spark at zero RPM. All it has to do is trip the mechanism in the normal direction of rotation. It's like a mouse trap ready to go. Nev

 

 

[Yenn]

I found the best way to hand prop Cessnas was to stand behind the prop on the stbd side, that way it oulls away from you. Works on C172, C150 and probably C182.

 

 

[facthunter]

We are assuming he was propping it . (It is fairly likely, But) he may have been moving the aircraft by the prop after it failed to start with the battery. (as I think Turbo alluded to). We will find out.. Nev

 

 

[facthunter]

Doesn't seem like more info coming out . With the talk of hand propping.. Please be careful.... It's seriously dangerous and a six cylinder motor has the compressions at 120 degrees whereas the fours are at 180 degrees and with a two blade it's in the same place which helps. You can have the prop position set to the best one on some planes. If you are the sort of person who will try this if you are stuck, get some instruction from someone who knows what it's all about. Doesn't matter how much you know, you can't eliminate ALL the risk, but if you just give it a go you multiply the risk massively. I would encourage you not to do it really if there's an alternative. I'm not talking about the wooden prop planes that have no starters where there is an established technique. Nev

 

 

[kaz3g]

One of the wisest to the ways of aeroplanes I know is Dick Gower.

 

Dick has taught a huge number of pilots to fly, both GA and RA and has mega hours in numerous aircraft types including the Chipmunk he has owned for more than 30 years. He readily shares his knowledge and a touch of wicked humour to those willing to learn.

 

His comments on hand starting can be read at

 

http://ycem.com.au/images/CFS/armstrongstarter.pdf

 

Enjoy

 

Kaz

 

 

[gandalph]

Thanks Kaz,

 

An interesting and enjoyable read. I regard my prop the same way I regard my circular saws; if they're not unplugged then they are on. My long term plan is to only ever start my Jab from the left seat but Dick's Doc is very handy to have as back of the mind info for when Murphy decides to get in the way.

 

 

[Dick Gower]

Thanks Kaz.

 

 

[Roundsounds]

The only comment I'd make about Dick's excellent hand starting article is in regards to #6. Pulling a prop backwards to clear oil from cylinders is not recommended, as it potentially moves the oil into the intake manifold. When the engine starts, this oil may be pulled back into the engine resulting in conrod damage.

 

 

[Litespeed]

Hey Dick,

 

Do you have anymore advice to Carruthers?

 

Always love a bit of wit with learning.

 

Phil

 

 

[facthunter]

There is such a variety of engines and situations, (direction of rotation number of cylinders, method of priming switching of mags and the set up with many adapted engines..etc) that if you are going to use it at any time with a particular plane a specific technique would be advised. Also if the engine kicks back with a full cylinder of mixture (or anything like it) if your fingers are around the sharp trailing edge of a metal prop without gloves you will probably lose them. Don't curl your fingers around the edge..

 

Having the throttle only just open near idle helps . Also letting most of the compression leak away and then just gently flicking it over TDC makes a fairly "soft" start. and get your hands and any part of yourself out of the prop arc, assuming it WILL start at every attempt, whether it does or not. Nev.

 

 

[Guernsey]

Am I correct in saying that it is virtually impossible to hand prop a Jabiru engine because it cannot be spun fast enough. Just asking????

 

Alan.

 

 

[facthunter]

It's been done and I think it's somewhere on this forum. Nev

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

Am I correct in saying that it is virtually impossible to hand prop a Jabiru engine because it cannot be spun fast enough. Just asking????Alan.

Jab's cold start kit (a special coil on the LHS) fires retarded and at quite low rpm, but is only activated when the starter solenoid is getting power. I guess it could be rigged to hand start. Not a safe thing to do and presumably exactly what Rod Stiff didn't want to happen.