Crash At Gloucester

[Guest DWB]

Just heard on NBN News that a plane crashed near Gloucester airstrip this afternoon after engine failure shortly after take off. The 49 y.o. farmer & experienced pilot was taken to John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle in a serious condition.

 

Best wishes go to him on a successful & speedy recovery.

 

 

[dazza 38]

Same here.Get well soon.

 

 

[Guest Darren Masters]

Likewise :(

 

 

[Guest Michael Coates]

Bugger, we have a few customers in that valley, hope it was not one of them !

 

 

[Guest DWB]

Still short on details but is a homemade aircraft it seems. Not being described as an ultralight so unsure what it was.

 

http://www.theherald.com.au/news/local/news/general/pilot-escapes-light-plane-crash/2562461.aspx

 

 

[Guest DWB]

Hornet (Homebuilt) was the aircraft I am led to believe

 

 

[Guest DWB]

OK seeing I started this I've been asked by a 3rd party to tell the story in part.

 

The aircraft was a VH registered earlier model Ag Hornet, ownerbuilt 4 seater. The engine was a Subaru (EA81 presumably). Approx 3-4 nm from departure of Gloucester Airfield the Pilot tracking generally west to his farm at Moppy, noticed a burning type smell & the engine began to run roughly & misfire. The pilot immediately reduced power & made for a direct return to the Gloucester Airfield. The engine did not stop at any time but was running on severely reduced power. In an attempt to reach the field, the pilot stalled the aircraft at approx. 30' agl with no hope of recovery. The aircraft impacted the ground suffering extensive damage & will be a write off. The pilot was knocked unconscious & was transported by helicopter to Newcastle's John Hunter Hospital.

 

The good news is that the pilot has been discharged from Hospital today with his only serious injury being 2 cracked ribs. From all accounts those that have seen either pics or the actual aircraft, all agree it is only the sheer strength of the Hornet that has saved the Pilot from more serious injuries if not death.

 

Obviously as we have said before, we wish him well.

 

 

[cficare]

in a crisis we still try to stretch the glide...

 

 

[red750]

This is the only Hornet AG on the VH register, and is domiciled at Moppy via Gloucester:

 

[ATTACH=full]1217[/ATTACH]

 

.

 

[ATTACH]18205[/ATTACH]

 

 

 

[Guest Michael Coates]

IMO.... Still not as ugly as a WILGA... I want a WILGA !

 

 

[Guest Darren Masters]

Looks like a small version of a Fletcher...

 

 

[cficare]

Fletcher?????...spot the similarity...the 'high lift' looking wing??

 

 

[Guest Darren Masters]

Fletcher?????...spot the similarity...the 'high lift' looking wing??

Don't know. Just screams Fletcher for me...

 

 

[metalman]

I'm looking at a photo of a plane that looks like it could land a a brisk walking pace ( almost) , be interesting to hear from the pilot what he did, looks like the sort of plane you could put down anywhere.

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

I'm looking at a photo of a plane that looks like it could land a a brisk walking pace ( almost) , be interesting to hear from the pilot what he did, looks like the sort of plane you could put down anywhere.

that crossed my mind as well.

 

 

[Scotty 1]

I was talking with the PIC yesterday. Here is what happened

 

Left Gloucester to head to his home strip. At about 4 mile out and 3000ft the engine gave a hickupp and he thought he could smell rubber. Checked all gauges and all good. No smoke from plane. Checked outside for someone burning off. None. Engine operating as normal, temps and pressures all normal.

 

Decision 1: Instead of continuing over tiger country to his home strip he decided to return to Gloucester. He reduced power and started a slow decent heading back to Gloucester. Engine, temps and pressures all operating as per normal but decided to return and land and check it out. Prop started to slip.

 

Decision 2: find a paddock and put her down. Prop lost all drive and started to windmill. Then the prop stopped turning. engine still running

 

He said the time from everything operating as normal to the prop starting to slip then windmilling and then totally stoped was a couple of seconds. He stated although he has practiced many engine out landings all these have been done at idle and was supprised at the extra drag and sink with the 4 blade prop not turning.

 

Decision 3: To get down in a paddock he had to turn through about 140degrees to miss a house and then a dam. Turn done but speed lost. At about 30ft the plane started to mush. Running out of clear paddock. At about 20ft with little forward speed and running out of paddock stick fully back and he remembers thinking this is going to hurt. Plane pancakes in with liitle forward motion but straight. Although he doesn't remember, the emergency people told him he then turned everything off.

 

He walked into the hanger yesterday. He has a sore back and a sore ankel and a couple of marks from the 4 point harness. The plane is a writeoff. He stated that the belts keepted him in place and he hit nothing. The seat and bulkheads under it absorbed the shock and he feels this reduced the injuries to his back. the floor and rudder peddles buckled and twisted his ankel. The chromemolly frame around the cockpit buckelled but held shape and did not fold in or break.

 

It was the gearbox that let go and not the engine but more will be knowen when things are stripped to find the cause.

 

Cheers Scotty

 

 

[Scotty 1]

[ATTACH=full]1221[/ATTACH][ATTACH=full]1222[/ATTACH][ATTACH=full]1223[/ATTACH]

 

[ATTACH]18207[/ATTACH]

 

 

 

[Guest DWB]

Thanks Scotty!. Some might be interested to know the make of the re-drive / gearbox. Any idea?

 

 

[Guest Darren Masters]

Thanks for the pics Scotty. Again, one very lucky man. Well done to him for walking away!

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

Just goes to show how important a good 4 point harness is when needed. Maybe a brake for the prop on the next one.

 

A similar accident involving a turbine beaver some years back that was caused also by gearbox failure and loss of airspeed whilst turning in and pancaked the same way saw the pilot put his head through the windscreen due to only lap sash type harness. Good structure around the cockpit saved him from further harm.

 

Glad the pilot is OK. I have family nearby. Haven't been up there for some years, forgot how nice the area is.

 

 

[Scotty 1]

Thanks Scotty!. Some might be interested to know the make of the re-drive / gearbox. Any idea?

Not sure Dex, but he did say it was oilchanged every 25 hours, just been done with no sign of trouble during service. Has not yet stripped to inspect but from what he could see after the acident all the plugs were in place so no loss of oil and he suspects a collapsed bearing. After accident prop was free.

Cheers Scotty

 

 

[metalman]

Good to hear he's okay, also good to hear the details of the accident, I reckon after looking at the pics of the paddock he might be playing over a few "what if's" in his mind. It's always different when it's for keeps, I had an instructor turn the CDI's off during a forced landing sim once, very different view with a stopped prop ,although the drag was less on a two blader.

 

Met