RAA fatality near Emerald

[fly_tornado]

Just in

 

The ultralight plane came down on the Gregory Highway, 15km south of EmeraldGoogle Maps

 

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Amber Hooker

 

UPDATE 9.30AM: A PILOT has died this morning after his aircraft crashed on the Gregory Hwy near Emerald.

 

The Queensland Police Service have confirmed the man was the sole occupant at the time the ultralight plane came down 15km south of Emerald at about 7.35am.

 

The Queensland Ambulance and Queensland Fire and Emergency services also attended the scene.

 

Police advise the Forensic Crash Unit is investigating and federal aviation investigators have been advised.

 

PLANE CRASH: Man killed as aircraft plummets into CQ highway

 

 

[scre80]

very sad news, RIP and condolences to all family and friends.

 

 

[FlyingVizsla]

RIP, Probably know him. There is an airstrip about 15km from Emerald on the Springsure road, a crop duster outfit, also it is a direct route from Emerald Airport to Springsure strip. I built that section of the road a few years ago. There is a side track, railway, 2 lane bitumen road with wide shoulders, pretty straight, flat open paddocks. Not in Springsure at present, but no doubt will hear soon.

 

 

[MartyG]

Condolences to all involved, Awful news.

 

 

[fly_tornado]

Pretty hard impact, news flipped the image

 

 

[ave8rr]

Single seat Flightstar?

 

RIP. Condolences to all.

 

 

[pgpete]

Looking at the tail feathers and general configuration, I'm guessing that it was a Flightstar Pioneer.

 

They were a nice aircraft back in the day....

 

My condolences to all involved.

 

 

 

[Geoff13]

RIP

 

ABC saying it was a student pilot on a solo flight.

 

Trainee pilot dies after ultralight plane crashes in paddock

 

 

[fly_tornado]

What a tragedy

 

 

[facthunter]

Said that He MAY have been close to getting his Recreational Pilot's "Licence". Regardless of the wording, He may have some experience. Always a tragedy to lose a fellow traveller. Condolences to all his associates and particularly the instructor,.. in the "awful" circumstances.. Nev

 

 

[Happyflyer]

Looks like single seater, so would have to be a solo flight. Wonder if he was converting to type? Perhaps from GA.

 

 

[Teckair]

You can't legally fly a single seater with out a pilot certificate.

 

 

[Teckair]

I always find it hard to see a crash like this in what looks like a clear area where a survivable out landing could have been made.

 

 

[facthunter]

IS it actually a single seater? re the crash, something has to be very wrong somewhere to go IN like that .Nev

 

 

[Snoopy]

You can't legally fly a single seater with out a pilot certificate.

You can't legally fly a single seater with out a pilot certificate.

You can fly solo as a student under supervision of an instructor. In fact it is a requirement of the training.

 

 

[onetrack]

I wonder, did the wing buckle in flight, or did it buckle on impact?

 

The weather in the background looks a little stormy - but if he took off in the early morning as stated, then one would imagine the weather wouldn't have been a major causative factor in the crash.

 

10-0780 was built 29/07/1988, and the rego was cancelled 28/02/2006 and listed as WFU? Was it out of action for a length of time, then re-registered? Can't find a current registration date for it.

 

The number of ultralight crashes and fatalities seems to be on the rise in recent times - or is it just one of those increased flying periods where the numbers spike? Why does QLD always seem to get a larger % of aerial disasters?

 

 

[kasper]

IS it actually a single seater? re the crash, something has to be very wrong somewhere to go I like that .Nev

It’s single seat. 95.10 rego so only Single

 

 

[FlyingVizsla]

AUF magazine April 1991 lists 10-0780 as a Pioneer Flightstar whose rego had expired 28/7/1990. Presumably it was reinstated to the Register after that.

 

Tim & Leanne run the Emerald Motel Apartments. Tim was well liked.

 

There are many scenarios - perhaps he was doing solo practice or maybe Navs to finish with his Xcountry? Might have been a medical or structural failure - we don't know yet. The fact that his instructor went looking for him after a 6am take-off suggests pre-licence solo under supervision. Meanwhile there is an instructor who is going to be badly shaken. No one wants to lose a student, or fellow flier.

 

Condolences to all.

 

 

[Happyflyer]

You can fly solo as a student under supervision of an instructor. In fact it is a requirement of the training.

Yes, but can an instructor send a student solo in a single seat aircraft? By definition the student couldn’t have flown the type before with the instructor.

 

 

[Teckair]

You can fly solo as a student under supervision of an instructor. In fact it is a requirement of the training.

Wrong, solo flying as a student has to be in the same plane as you trained in.

 

 

[Teckair]

Yes, but can an instructor send a student solo in a single seat aircraft? By definition the student couldn’t have flown the type before with the instructor.

No.

 

 

[Happyflyer]

No.

I agree with you and wouldn’t dream of doing it but do you have a reference from the ops manual that specifically prohibits this. I’m looking but haven’t found it yet.

 

 

[turboplanner]

I always find it hard to see a crash like this in what looks like a clear area where a survivable out landing could have been made.

The cause could be anywhere between what you say, and a breakup in normal flight from a pre-existing crack, or some exciting early morning attempted tight turns/aerobatics.

I drove past that spot twice last year, and while the street-view photo looks good, a lot of those paddocks are very rough.

 

Although it is reported that his instructor found the crash site, this was an early morning event, and it's not clear yet whether he had taken off with the permission of his instructor, or whether he had just decided to go off on his own.

 

 

[Teckair]

I agree with you and wouldn’t dream of doing it but do you have a reference from the ops manual that specifically prohibits this. I’m looking but haven’t found it yet.

As an ex CFI I can promise you it is the case I don't feel the need to look through ops manual at the moment.

 

 

[M61A1]

Just for the record...from the current ops manual:

 

Section 2.06 - 2

 

ISSUE 7.1 –AUGUST 2016

 

PRIVILEGES OF A STUDENT OR CONVERTING PILOT CERTIFICATE HOLDER

 

3. A Student or Converting Pilot Certificate holder, or an applicant for a Student or Converting Pilot Certificate, may:

 

(a) undergo dual flight training with an Instructor who is supervised by a Flight Training School or Satellite Flight Training School in accordance with the appropriate syllabus of training provided in the RAAus Syllabus of Flight Training.

 

4. A Student or Converting Pilot Certificate holder, or an applicant for a Student or Converting Pilot Certificate must not conduct solo flight as the sole occupant of a recreational aeroplane unless:

 

(a) a Student or Converting Pilot Certificate has been issued; and

 

(b) they have attained the age of 15 years; and

 

© they have passed a written pre-solo air legislation examination; and

 

(d) the flight is directly supervised and authorised by at least a Senior Instructor with approval from a CFI.