Double fatal (GA) near Darwin 23/10/17

[DingerPPC]

Tends to happen when you hit trees.

 

 

[Teckair]

Tends to happen when you hit trees.

This appears to be a in flight break up not caused by hitting trees the wing was found 400 metres away.

 

 

[MartyG]

Very bad news, Condolences to all involved.

Hey whitey reason for caution m8?

 

 

[turboplanner]

Hey whitey reason for caution m8?

Almost certainly a finger slip on the IPHone, happens a lot.

 

 

[MartyG]

Almost certainly a finger slip on the IPHone, happens a lot.

Yeh thought as much, just checkin. Cheers

 

 

[Bernie Knight]

So sad to recently hear family members talk after loosing loved ones. Their stories are heart breaking.

 

Thoughts with family members and I hope we don't have to experience the loss. Stay safe.

 

 

[ben87r]

We now have some information, very sad indeed.

 

Investigation: AO-2017-102 - In-flight breakup involving Cessna 210, VH-HWY, 22 km E of Darwin Airport, Northern Territory, on 23 October 2017

 

 

[Downunder]

We now have some information, very sad indeed.Investigation: AO-2017-102 - In-flight breakup involving Cessna 210, VH-HWY, 22 km E of Darwin Airport, Northern Territory, on 23 October 2017

Yes, a pretty horrific read to be honest....

 

 

[facthunter]

Without weather radar onboard you are flat out finding your way through these cells . I would expect the ground radar There might be some help but I don't know whether it's set up more for aircraft recognition rather than weather returns. We didn't get airborne radar till the late 60's sometime after a Viscount had crashed due structural failure in a storm over Botany Bay It took quite a while to find it even though it only got a few miles after lifting off the runway at Kingsford Smith (Sydney). The radar was a great aid in identifying active storm centres to avoid. You could scan vertically to get a good idea of the strength and extent of the updrafts and the heavy precipitation areas.. Nev

 

 

[poteroo]

Although ATSB mention Va as being 118 kts, they don't mention the effect of weight on this. 118 is for MTOW, and it's doubtful if this aircraft was anywhere near MTOW. Likely it was 100-200kg lower - meaning that its' real Va would have been quite a bit less than 118. Perhaps 108 kts might have been closer. When you are flying around areas of potentially severe turbulence, in a lightly loaded 210 - holding closer to 95-100 kts is probably a safer choice. For my money, (after a few years of dodging this type of weather), the safest VFR choice is to be below the cloud base where you can see the location of cells and avoid the risks of losing control when skirting between rain-filled cloud at higher altitude. The fact that the US ATSB has reported so many 210 breakups should be enough for all pilots to be very, very careful in negotiating stormy wx.

 

 

[Downunder]

This part was chilling, how quickly it came up...

 

Based on the cloud top temperature, the top of the cell was around 6,000–7,000 ft at 1300, 9,000 ft at 1320, 13,000–14,000 ft at 1330, and around 14,000 ft at 1340.

 

The developing cumulus clouds may have produced strong updrafts or downdrafts.

 

 

[davidc95]

We now have some information, very sad indeed.Investigation: AO-2017-102 - In-flight breakup involving Cessna 210, VH-HWY, 22 km E of Darwin Airport, Northern Territory, on 23 October 2017

What a terrifying sequence of events.

 

A timely reminder for our summer flying that aircraft have no place near thunderstorms (although I'm sure that is easier said then done in the NT) . The updrafts of a maturing storm cell would wreak havoc on any light aircraft.