Murwillumba aircraft missing.

[Love to fly]

Sorry guys, how about a little respect for the family and friends of the missing pilot. Referring to someone as 'brain dead' isn't helpful to anyone. Myriad of reasons why a PLB may not have gone off, and the obvious one is one I'd rather not dwell on until the facts are known.

 

 

[Mick]

I find it a bit strange that if a witness saw a wing come off that it is taking so long to find the aircraft.

 

If a wing came off the aircraft is unlikely to have tavelled far from that point.

 

.

 

 

[bexrbetter]

Referring to someone as 'brain dead' isn't helpful to anyone.

Well I read Neill's post differently apparently.

 

I read a generalisation of his anger of this attitude against items such as BRS etc that is rampant throughout flying.

 

 

[djpacro]

No Cookies | Gold Coast Bulletin

 

"His friend, Roy Sneesby, was at the airfield at South Murwillumbah yesterday moments after his mate was reported missing and said Mr Sinnott was an “accomplished pilot”.

 

“The fellas were concerned about the fact that he didn’t come back because he was only doing a local flight,” he said.

 

“He’s an accomplished pilot … (he would have been flying) for at least 30 years.”

 

Friends said they dubbed Mr Sinnott’s plane “the grasshopper” because it was bright green.

 

He was rumoured to have purchased the ultralight only recently.

 

“He’d only owned the aeroplane around two weeks,” Mr Sneesby said.

 

“If it went down in the bush it would be hard to see. He bought this aeroplane because it would do aerobatics.

 

“If he tried something violent or something he could have blacked out … we’re only guessing.”

 

I recall an accident some years ago where one or two witnesses stated that a wing had failed - ATSB said no structural failure, they had seen a stall/spin.

 

Many years ago, before mobile phones and PLBs, one of my friends was missing for a couple of days after an engine failure during a short flight from an airfield near a capital city, fortunately he was found in the damaged aircraft (my guess is stalled some way above the ground) and survived.

 

 

[alf jessup]

given a caution for my post please explainthe facts are there if the plane is missing as assumed (edited..mod)

now as a fact when the PLB was first mooted I was one that said that it SHOULD BE IN THE PLANE FOR ALL FLIGHTS no ifs or buts

 

when a transport company has their 153 trucks on tracking why cant you have the same device on your plane neil

Neil

 

What part are you not getting????

 

A PLB is manually activated, an ELT is a fixed locating device that is fitted to a plane and is supposed to go off at a certain G level

 

And many factory fitted ELT's in Cessna' Pipers amongst other brands ect don't go off in an accident as history has proved

 

There is no proof this aircraft wasn't carrying a PLB as it most likely wouldn't be fitted with an ELT as it is a home built

 

As stated before the missing pilot may not have had time to activate his PLB if he was carrying one for a myriad of reasons eg, medical event, excessive G forces, and he may not be in any way shape or form to activate it now after the aircraft made contact with the ground

 

So you can't go off your rocker asking who what where and why hasn't the epirb been activated if you have no proof it wasn't carrying one

 

Time will tell

 

 

[fly_tornado]

one explanation

 

 

 

[storchy neil]

He bought this aeroplane because it would do aerobatics

 

aero plane aerobatics in 19 reg aircraft is that a new endorsement neil

 

 

[Steve Donald]

Ive had fair amount of time in the Sonerai 11L very responsive spins easy builds speed fast if your not on it quick as it bites there was a wing mod AD years ago some dont have it . The aircraft was originally designed as a Formula V Pilon Racer 18ft 6 wingspan . If its ended up inverted on the ground you cannot get out something i took a lot of notice of. I hope this Man is found just awful

 

 

[rdarby]

Possible crash site located in search for missing pilot in northern NSW

 

Possible crash site found according to the headline

 

 

[Jabiru7252]

It's sad how some folks come across on these forums.

 

 

[winsor68]

Neil, are you saying you know for sure that this pilot did not have a PLB on board?no I asked where is the PLB neil

No mate...you said this (edited..mod)

.

 

I did think it was a bit off considering this bloke is missing and his family must be in a mess. (edited...mod)

 

 

[Jaba-who]

Neil,

 

From your statement suggesting that no beacon ( of whatever type the aircraft may or may not have had)- that no beacon signal equals none on board - perhaps you are not aware of why it is legal to carry a personal manual triggering beacon and not a requirement to have a fixed, auto triggering beacon in all aircraft.

 

Several years ago CASA commenced a rule change requiring that fixed beacons be mandatory on all aircraft. However in the responses from the recreational and private arenas particularly it was pointed out that the data clearly showed that fixed beacons triggered and remained signalling in only just under 50% of the times an aircraft fitted with them crashed. ( the figure of 47% is rattling round my head but I can't be sure that I am recalling exactly correctly) The figures showed the failures involved a significant number where the equipment simply did not trigger.

 

But the clincher was that a big percentage of failures was that it did trigger but then was rendered inoperative due to fire, immersion in deep water or other events which would have been averted had the pilot had the ability to remove the beacon with him/her when they exited the aircraft after the crash.

 

Because of that fact it was concluded that some aircraft were required only to have a beacon of whatever type the pilot chose to use. So just because there was no signal does not in any way mean there was no beacon.

 

And p.s. - can you please use punctuation? Honestly it makes it very hard to work out what you are saying and mean sometimes.

 

 

[graham brown]

https://www.atsb.gov.au/media/4126629/ar-2012-128_final.pdf

 

Here is the link to the report.

 

Very low percentage of them alerting amsa. However they do save lives. Tracking devices would help. Hope he is found soon.

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

...The figures showed the failures involved a significant number where the equipment simply did not trigger...

Good post, Jaba. This is probably a good point to remind people to dispose of old beacons thoughtfully.

They sometimes do strange things when their battery has reached the end of its useful life.

 

On more than one occasion Volunteer Rescuers called out to search for a crashed plane have traced the signal to deep in a garbage dump.

 

 

[stevek]

I just heard on 7 news they have found the plane with the pilot deceased Can't find any other reference to that news. Steve

 

 

[Flying Officer Kite]

I just heard on 7 news they have found the plane with the pilot deceased Can't find any other reference to that news. Steve

On ABC radio news a few minutes ago. Very sad.

 

 

[kgwilson]

From the 7 news web site.

 

"A missing NSW pilot has been found dead in the wreckage of his ultralight aircraft on the state's far north coast.

 

Search crews on horseback found the ultralight on a private property in Limpinwood about 9am on Thursday, NSW Police say.

 

The crash site is about 25km from Murwillumbah Airport, where 72-year-old pilot Ian Sinnott took off on Tuesday morning."

 

Sadly the outcome is another fatality. My condolences to his family and friends

 

 

[shafs64]

RIP My condolences to his family and friends

 

 

[Nightmare]

Very, very sad. We were all hoping for a different outcome.

 

My condolences to Ian's family and friends. RIP

 

 

[Keenaviator]

Very sad for the pilot's family and his life cut short. Lovely looking Sonneri too.

 

 

[ave8rr]

RIP Ian.

 

I hope the authorities will be able to determine the cause of the accident.

 

 

[alf jessup]

Not the outcome we were all hoping for

 

Condolences to the pilots family and friends

 

 

[BLA82]

Sad outcome.

 

RIP and I wish you clear skies

 

 

[Right Rudder]

This is another tragic loss of a very experienced pilot loosing his life in an ultralight WHY?

 

Condolences to his family and friends and I hope we can get some answers.

 

R.I.P

 

 

[Teckair]

Some one said he bought the plane to do aerobatics does anybody know if they are rated for that? Some one also said they saw a wing fall off. 19 rego is not aerobatic.