Small plane missing Victoria 18/09/22

[walrus]

Mr. Farrell was allegedly a skilled paraglider, the operative question then is; would he have launched his paraglider in those weather conditions? If not, why did he think that a VFR Jabiru would be successful?

[sfGnome]

I’ve flown into that strip a few times. One way, surrounded by mountains on three sides. There’s no way you’d choose to fly out of there in bad weather. This wasn’t bad training; it was Darwinism in action. 🤨

[turboplanner]

Looks like we haven't seen the full story on this, and there could have been some training issues, system issues and communication issues before this flight.

 

Giving a person with paragliding experience a Recreational Pilot Licence after only five hours of assisted flight and one hour solo and no evidence of multiple Navexes or cross country theory modules like Radio, Nav, Met as ABC Radio News seems to have discovered certainly shocks me.

[RFguy]

Turbs, if that is all true, not sure how that passes muster at all, rather shocking- with the obvious consequences. I'd expect to see a lawsuit here .  No doubt this is partially on the head of  the instructor - he signed him off. 

 

I can't really beleive that RAAus would have approved this signoff. There's some missing information. 

[turboplanner]

  On 06/02/2024 at 10:12 PM, RFguy said:

Turbs, if that is all true, not sure how that passes muster at all, rather shocking- with the obvious consequences. I'd expect to see a lawsuit here .  No doubt this is partially on the head of  the instructor - he signed him off. 

 

I can't really beleive that RAAus would have approved this signoff. There's some missing information. 

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Trying to find out if the Inquest is finished. Their search system is not very user friendly.

[Blueadventures]

  On 06/02/2024 at 10:12 PM, RFguy said:

Turbs, if that is all true, not sure how that passes muster at all, rather shocking- with the obvious consequences. I'd expect to see a lawsuit here .  No doubt this is partially on the head of  the instructor - he signed him off. 

 

I can't really beleive that RAAus would have approved this signoff. There's some missing information. 

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I would expect his training was to a point in time when he did his solo and further training would have been required that included further solos then maybe x/c, Passenger etc.  Wonder if he gained L1 ?  Outside of any training he made a decision to fly. 

[turboplanner]

  On 06/02/2024 at 11:52 PM, Blueadventures said:

I would expect his training was to a point in time when he did his solo and further training would have been required that included further solos then maybe x/c, Passenger etc.  Wonder if he gained L1 ?  Outside of any training he made a decision to fly. 

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That's not what was indicated, but let's make sure the Inquest has finished.

[Love to fly]

Apparently them may have to 'restart' the inquest due to significant information being made available by RAAUS on Friday, the last day of the inquest.   https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-02-04/mathew-farrell-fiancee-system-failed-inquest-plane-crash/103414984

Edited February 7, 2024 by Love to fly
add source

[turboplanner]

  On 07/02/2024 at 12:27 AM, Love to fly said:

Apparently them may have to 'restart' the inquest due to significant information being made available by RAAUS on Friday, the last day of the inquest. 

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Yes, very troubling.

[BrendAn]

  On 06/02/2024 at 10:12 PM, RFguy said:

Turbs, if that is all true, not sure how that passes muster at all, rather shocking- with the obvious consequences. I'd expect to see a lawsuit here .  No doubt this is partially on the head of  the instructor - he signed him off. 

 

I can't really beleive that RAAus would have approved this signoff. There's some missing information. 

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Geoff wood was the instructor. He had a stroke and passed away a few weeks ago. He has been training people for decades. I would imagine he had to be pretty confident in Matt's abilities to sign him off.

[turboplanner]

  On 07/02/2024 at 5:46 AM, BrendAn said:

Geoff wood was the instructor. He had a stroke and passed away a few weeks ago. He has been training people for decades. I would imagine he had to be pretty confident in Matt's abilities to sign him off.

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There's just a bit of a problem specualting, since we don't know if the Inquest is finished; there was talk of it being extended and some subjects like that could be discussed or re-discussed so we have to be careful not to prejudice the outcome.

[BrendAn]

  On 07/02/2024 at 5:51 AM, turboplanner said:

There's just a bit of a problem specualting, since we don't know if the Inquest is finished; there was talk of it being extended and some subjects like that could be discussed or re-discussed so we have to be careful not to prejudice the outcome.

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I am pretty sure my comment won't be used in court. And the fact that the instructor passed away is fact not speculation.   No one seems to think the pilot made a stupid decision to fly in adverse weather. That's just common sense, not training.

[RFguy]

not necessarily.  part of XC training is to experience changes in weather, scene, understand GAFs TAFs GPWTs etc  That's why it takes a while to do and why there are several components to it. If he had not met that syllabus min XC hours-  and not passed the XC-nav written exam, then he could have not possibly held the qual, so could only have flown when not permitted to fly if was more than 25nm from the departure AD. Was the crash more than 25nm beyond the AD ?

 

I'm *guessing because its the only thing that makes sense *  -   is that he met  pilot certificate requirements (conversion- which is straightforward) and got signed off on that....

And that the  student had met all RAAUS requirements to fly within 25nm from the AD.  

Edited February 7, 2024 by RFguy

[BrendAn]

  On 07/02/2024 at 6:38 AM, RFguy said:

not necessarily.  part of XC training is to experience changes in weather, scene, understand GAFs TAFs GPWTs etc  That's why it takes a while to do and why there are several components to it. If he had not met that syllabus min XC hours-  and not passed the XC-nav written exam, then he could have not possibly held the qual, so could only have flown when not permitted to fly if was more than 25nm from the departure AD. I'm *guessing* that's what is at hand here, met pilot certificate requirements and got signed off on that, and that would mean instructor  and student had met all requirements. 

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It was only RPC wasn't it. Isn't xcountry  another 10 hrs.  And he was going to fly to Wollongong.

Edited February 7, 2024 by BrendAn

[RFguy]

at least 10. most 10-25h. .... I can entirely beleive he was signed off as competent and met all requirements to acheive a RAAus PC, and then made up his own adventure, but that's probably what we should not discuss now, IE personality / poor decisions unless we discuss in general terms.

[facthunter]

Some don't know how much they don't know.  IF at any time you think you know it ALL you begin to get more unsafe. Nev

[turboplanner]

  On 07/02/2024 at 6:32 AM, BrendAn said:

I am pretty sure my comment won't be used in court. And the fact that the instructor passed away is fact not speculation.   No one seems to think the pilot made a stupid decision to fly in adverse weather. That's just common sense, not training.

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As sure as I urge caution there's an outbreak of the reverse by people without knowing developments.

[BrendAn]

  On 07/02/2024 at 7:50 AM, turboplanner said:

As sure as I urge caution there's an outbreak of the reverse by people without knowing developments.

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This is nothing compared to some forums. The story is all over the net. Do you think I am making up the story about the instructor. I spoke to him a couple of months ago.

[Rotorwork]

Update from ABC

 

A Victorian coroner has labelled allegations that Australia's largest administrator of pilots concealed its concerns about licensing a man who fatally crashed his plane "deeply troubling".

An inquest into the death of light plane pilot Matthew Farrell began in January.

 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-05-01/matthew-farrell-pilot-death-inquest-hears-documents-withheld/103787962

[KRviator]

Some very interesting commentary there from the State Coroner - particularly about the withholding of documents. I'd be very interested to see what documents weren't provided as part of the brief of evidence and in what light they paint the actions of RAAus. It's not like it'd be the first time they've refused to act in accordance with the legislation that governs our flying...

[turboplanner]

  On 07/02/2024 at 9:29 AM, BrendAn said:

This is nothing compared to some forums. The story is all over the net. Do you think I am making up the story about the instructor. I spoke to him a couple of months ago.

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You take a big risk working on the advice of "some forums".

 

The comments posted below are a good example of where the flame can go, and it looks like it's going to go a lot further than that.

[BrendAn]

  On 01/05/2024 at 3:45 AM, turboplanner said:

You take a big risk working on the advice of "some forums".

 

The comments posted below are a good example of where the flame can go, and it looks like it's going to go a lot further than that.

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seriously , what are you on about.  

[BrendAn]

i stand my earlier comment that the pilot took a risk knowing how bad the weather was on the day. 

surely you don't need extensive training to decide if you should fly or not.

this case is causing a huge ripple through raa and casa. i think thats why they have cracked down on everything.

 

[Love to fly]

  On 01/05/2024 at 4:14 AM, BrendAn said:

i stand my earlier comment that the pilot took a risk knowing how bad the weather was on the day. 

surely you don't need extensive training to decide if you should fly or not.

this case is causing a huge ripple through raa and casa. i think thats why they have cracked down on everything.

 

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Actually I think training in interpreting weather forecasts across different areas is really important for cross country flying. And without it it could be very difficult to make informed devisions as to whether a flight is safe to make. 

[jackc]

  On 01/05/2024 at 1:30 AM, Rotorwork said:

Update from ABC

 

A Victorian coroner has labelled allegations that Australia's largest administrator of pilots concealed its concerns about licensing a man who fatally crashed his plane "deeply troubling".

An inquest into the death of light plane pilot Matthew Farrell began in January.

 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-05-01/matthew-farrell-pilot-death-inquest-hears-documents-withheld/103787962

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So, our peak body withholds information from a Coroner?  Sickening 🤢

Feel like scrubbing my membership, rego and go flying 🤢

Ironically, my membership is due today……