Drifter accident Woodgate Beach 27/11/2021.

[Teckair]

Just seen on channel 7 news Drifter accident on Woodgate Beach one person in hospital and one ok.

[kgwilson]

I saw the TV report. Bent in the middle but not too bad. Would have been hard on the spine I imagine. The passenger was uninjured according to the report.

[WayneL]

The owner/pilot main injury was a gash to the right leg from a bracket on the tube. His son escaped injury. Told me he had no response on controls except ailerons straight after a heavy and slightly faster touchdown (touch n go). The Drifter continued to roll to the right straight after liftoff and the starboard wing hit the beach first. Looking at possible failure of fuselage tube before the impact.

[facthunter]

There was a place to be inspected( from underneath) pre flight. Nev

[Methusala]

1 hour ago, facthunter said:

There was a place to be inspected( from underneath) pre flight. Nev

Earlier Drifters (Maxair I think) Had a weakness below the engine support strut. Casper could know more.

[WayneL]

[Kiwi]

Very sad to see, glad everyone is OK.

[kasper]

7 hours ago, Methusala said:

Earlier Drifters (Maxair I think) Had a weakness below the engine support strut. Casper could know more.

If that's me I can only add a little as I only looked after 1 drifter and spoke to Wayne F on what to look for and care for when he delivered it remanufactured/overhauled to this back in the 90s

 

The maxair and austflight drifters do not have a weakness as such at the engine mount to fuse tube BUT that is a stress point AND a corrosion point.  

 

The folded metal floor is rivetted to the fuse tube along the tube length and Wayne was clear that the thing to watch was any streaking from a fretting rivet from stressing in that area.  That was the point where you needed to unrivet the sides to inspect the tube for stress cracking which you couldn't see with the sides on.  From Wayne the issue was that once a rivet started fretting it was a moisture trap for corrosion in an are where cracks from rivet holes were at a high stress point along the tube. 

 

Never had to strip one down because there was never a need whilst I was working on the maintenance or instructing in it. 

 

 

 

[Kiwi]

The Drifters up till the early 1990's had a hole in the top of the boom tube directly under the rear upright, the electrical wires from the engine ran inside the boom tube and exited behind the instrument panel. The hole in the top of the boom is the week point. In the 503 Drifter you can see the boom through the inspection holes under the pan. In the 582 they don't have the inspection holes, the underpan support for the upright brace tube are in the way.

I believe 25-413 is a converted 503

Edited November 30, 2021 by Kiwi

[WayneL]

Interesting information Kiwi about it possibly being a convert from a 503. Will pass on that info to the owner.

Wayne.

[Kiwi]

I was of the understanding that one of the Clifton Drifters was a converted 503, but I've been wrong before. ( just ask my wife) Trevor will know.

Edited November 30, 2021 by Kiwi

[farri]

23 hours ago, WayneL said:

 Looking at possible failure of fuselage tube before the impact.

Anything`s possible, but very unlikely!!!

[facthunter]

It seems to have bent over a fair length as if the tail (wheel) has hit sand.  The mainwheel strut bends if a hard contact is made. It's only a single chromolly tube. Nev

[Kiwi]

Maybe....

Boom breaks at engine down tube, elevator jammed, prop cuts through boom, aircraft goes up on nose then back down again creating second bend at the prop strike.

 

[farri]

1 injured in Highlands County ultralight crash (fox13news.com)

[Methusala]

Looks like a stall from perhaps 20-30ft.

[farri]

Last night, I was chatting to the owner/pilot of the Drifter, on 'Woodgate beach'! hopefully! I`ll have some facts about the accident, next week.