Gyrocopter crashes on beach near Tathra 06/10/2022

[red750]

A gyrocopter with two persons on board flew low over the water to warn a surfer there was a shark close by. The gyro was clipped by a wave forcing it to crash into about one metre of water. Both occupants and the surfer escaped uninjured.

 

[turboplanner]

Magic carpet syndrome. Easy not to have this happen to you; just don't fly below the minimum height of 500 feet AGL.

[Thruster88]

Insurance? Insurance premiums are only going up with stupid shit like this.

[APenNameAndThatA]

6 hours ago, turboplanner said:

Magic carpet syndrome. Easy not to have this happen to you; just don't fly below the minimum height of 500 feet AGL.

Flying below 500 ft is legal if you are landing. They landed, so... 

 

They were worried about a shark following a surfer. The pilot should have left the screaming and pointing to the passenger. 🤦‍♂️

[facthunter]

Maybe they tried to scare the shark away by getting  low.  Nev

[Garfly]

Mercy flight? 

(Are they a thing any more?)

[turboplanner]

1 hour ago, Garfly said:

Mercy flight? 

(Are they a thing any more?)

Mercy Flight has sone strict provisions; you have to declare it for one; that would take out a lot of people from the equation.

[Garfly]

 

 

29 minutes ago, turboplanner said:

Mercy Flight has sone strict provisions; you have to declare it for one; that would take out a lot of people from the equation.

Hmmm ... visions of would-be rescuees bleeding-out as our scrupulously law abiding aviator attempts to get through on the blower to announce his 'declaration'.  But I seem to remember reading that even the old Mercy Flight declaration no longer pertains; that it's now covered under the broader category of a May Day call.  Not sure. Something to clarify.  In either case, lives could well be hanging in the balance due dodgy radio comms.  And given the Air Law joys of strict liability the judge may have to discount any kind of common sense defence.  Heck, you might even get done, at the same time, for failing to render assistance.  Catch 91.

[turboplanner]

9 minutes ago, Garfly said:

 

 

Hmmm ... visions of would-be rescuees bleeding-out as our scrupulously law abiding aviator attempts to get through on the blower to announce his 'declaration'.  But I seem to remember reading that even the old Mercy Flight declaration no longer pertains; that it's now covered under the broader category of a May Day call.  Not sure. Something to clarify.  In either case, lives could well be hanging in the balance due dodgy radio comms.  And given the Air Law joys of strict liability the judge may have to discount any kind of common sense defence.  Heck, you might even get done, at the same time, for failing to render assistance.  Catch 91.

No, it's very straightforward.

[Garfly]

17 minutes ago, turboplanner said:

No, it's very straightforward.

Sure it is.  Which is why Pprune had a long, impassioned thread on the subject a while back, running the gamut from the 'very straightforward' brigade to posters of the 'very complicated' persuasion.  Never the 'twain shall meet.   ;- )

 

https://www.pprune.org/pacific-general-aviation-questions/501671-mercy-flights.html

 

 

 

 

Edited October 7, 2022 by Garfly

[turboplanner]

24 minutes ago, Garfly said:

Sure it is.  Which is why Pprune had a long, impassioned thread on the subject a while back, running the gamut from the 'very straightforward' brigade to posters of the 'very complicated' persuasion.  Never the 'twain shall meet.   ;- )

 

https://www.pprune.org/pacific-general-aviation-questions/501671-mercy-flights.html

 

 

 

 

That explains a few things.

However this accident was all about where to place an aircraft in the sky.

[Garfly]

1 minute ago, turboplanner said:

That explains a few things.

However this accident was all about where to place an aircraft in the sky.

But also potentially, possibly, about bending a rule to save a life.

[spacesailor]

I thought The rule Should be broken ! .

NOT the aircraft Or pilot . For an atempt to save a Human being .

Because the law is an ASS , with no Humanity. 

(  just shows Why Ican,t get past Burauecrasy  ).

spacesailor

Edited October 7, 2022 by spacesailor
Grammer

[turboplanner]

1 hour ago, Garfly said:

But also potentially, possibly, about bending a rule to save a life.

A Pilot In Command has to be smart enough so set priorities to keep his passenger, himself and his aircraft safe first, and circling at 500' with an arm pointing and waving can bee seen clearly.

[onetrack]

You don't need to get down to wave height to warn swimmers, that's just plain stupidity, and shows a lack of situational awareness. The shark spotting choppers never go below about 200 feet.

[Garfly]

14 minutes ago, turboplanner said:

A Pilot In Command has to be smart enough so set priorities to keep his passenger, himself and his aircraft safe first, and circling at 500' with an arm pointing and waving can bee seen clearly.

 

A very straightforward scenario and a very smart PIC.  Warning not waving.  Too late. 

 

[spacesailor]

Perhaps a little beach landing . That went wrong .

spacesailor

[old man emu]

And not one of you has given a thought to the emotional trauma the shark might have suffered as a result of a giant seagull-looking thing swooping down on it.

[onetrack]

I'm sure they've got lawyers for sharks. I know we land-dwellers often have sharks for lawyers.

[Bernie]

There has been a C17 flying low about a K from my place three times in this last week, I estimate below 500f. With no transponder on I can't see real height or speed, can't see on Flightradar 24.

Bernie.

[Student Pilot]

Forced landing practice?

[sfGnome]

Thread drift warning! I live under the VFR lane north of Sydney, so I get to see a lot of light plane traffic. Occasionally I’ll see one travelling north in the south lane or vice versa, but the other day I saw one at couldn’t have been more than 500ft agl. Apart from being too low over a built up area, we also get a lot of choppers coming east/west at 500ft so it was heading for a mid air… 😳 Is it that hard to watch your altimeter?

[turboplanner]

2 hours ago, sfGnome said:

Thread drift warning! I live under the VFR lane north of Sydney, so I get to see a lot of light plane traffic. Occasionally I’ll see one travelling north in the south lane or vice versa, but the other day I saw one at couldn’t have been more than 500ft agl. Apart from being too low over a built up area, we also get a lot of choppers coming east/west at 500ft so it was heading for a mid air… 😳 Is it that hard to watch your altimeter?

I never thought I'd have to say this but apparently it not only is, but it is for perhaps 10% of RA. The training seems to be optional and the flying experience seems to be focused on the manipulation of the controls. Airservices are partly to blame because they just seem to accept it and actually, without knowing the skills of the pilot, assist him to get further in. A BIG contract to a Bonanza pilot I spoke to one day somewhere near Forbes. He'd been on a local flight around Bankstown "and it was such a nice day we decided to keep going and have a look at Bathurst". I was on a flight planned refuel; he'd just landed for fun (or based on what happened next, to see where he was). He decided he might get some too. I was in awe of the Bonanza's cruise speed and the ease with which he was flitting around the State. He said he might go and have  afternoon tea at Griffith and then fly home. The Bonanza just shrunk the travel times I was used to. And we went our separate ways. About 15 minutes later there was a call from Sydney Centre to his callsign, XXX Confirm your position (and in those days you needed to know it, now). The reply was a cheerful explanation much the same as he'd given me ending with something vague like "west of Forbes". There was a short silence then "Land immediately" phone Airservices Sydney." 

[Ando]

20 hours ago, turboplanner said:

A Pilot In Command has to be smart enough so set priorities to keep his passenger, himself and his aircraft safe first, and circling at 500' with an arm pointing and waving can bee seen clearly.

Always know your priorities 

[Garfly]

32 minutes ago, turboplanner said:

 About 15 minutes later there was a call from Sydney Centre to his callsign, XXX Confirm your position (and in those days you needed to know it, now). The reply was a cheerful explanation much the same as he'd given me ending with something vague like "west of Forbes". There was a short silence then "Land immediately" phone Airservices Sydney." 

What had he done wrong, exactly?