One killed in light plane crash

[Case]

From the Brisbane CourierMail,

 

A MAN has been killed after his light plane crashed into a paddock in Sydney's southwest.

 

The two-seater plane crashed into a paddock off Vicar Park Lane in Luddenham just before 4.30pm (AEST), killing the male pilot, NRMA Careflight said.

 

"It was small airplane, a little two-seater," Careflight spokesman Ian Badham said.

 

"There was one male occupant, and the male occupant is deceased."

 

The Rural Fire Service (RFS) said firefighters had been sent to the crash.

 

"There was a small grass fire that started from this crash," RFS spokeswoman Rebel Talbert told Macquarie radio.

 

"But at this stage it appears that this has been completely contained."

 

 

[Guest jerabina]

Rego VH-CZX

 

 

[planedriver]

A Liberty XL-2 one from Sydney Flight Training Centre.

 

The wings were ripped clean off on an aircraft that was only 3 1/2 mths old

 

A sad day indeed!

 

My heartfelt feelings go out to all concerned, and family members at this tragic loss.

 

I had been sitting in the car with scanner on and saw it take off a short while earlier.

 

RIP

 

 

[old man emu]

Please refer to my earlier thread "Hatches and Harnesses Secure????"

 

It was the same aircraft.

 

Old Man Emu

 

 

[Guest airsick]

It was the same aircraft.

Makes you wonder if it was the same cause???

 

 

[old man emu]

Makes you wonder if it was the same cause???

The thought was strong in our minds. However, from the pictures I've seen on the TV, it appears that the aircraft may have broken up in the air, as the wings and tail were separated from the fuselage.

 

Old Man Emu

 

 

[motzartmerv]

Oh no..thats shocking, terrible terrible stuff.. evry pilots worse nightmare..

 

Thoughts are with the family..

 

 

[Guest airsick]

From the Daily Telegraph (Plane crash in paddock kills student pilot | The Daily Telegraph)

 

Neighbour Judy Heath rushed from her house after hearing the plane flying precariously low. She could hear the engine apparently cut in and out as it narrowly missed the roof of her Luddenham home and crossed the road before plunging into a paddock.

 

Liberty has been raving about their FADEC system on these aircraft so it will be interesting to hear if it was an engine failure.

 

 

[Guest basscheffers]

She could hear the engine apparently cut in and out as it narrowly missed the roof of her Luddenham home and crossed the road before plunging into a paddock.

Liberty has been raving about their FADEC system on these aircraft so it will be interesting to hear if it was an engine failure.

Keep in mind that to the non-initiated, controlling a descent with big power changes might sound like "the engine cutting in and out".

 

 

[Guest airsick]

Fair point. Will still be interesting though.

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

Can they suffer from intake icing? i presume they are a fuel injected engine

 

 

[old man emu]

it will be interesting to hear if it was an engine failure.

Although the pilot was a student, if he was flying solo, he must have been cleared to land a plane, and would have had some emergency landing training. If the engine cut out, I'm sure he would have got the plane to the ground in one piece, and if it broke up on impact, most of the aircraft would have been in one heap.

 

It's the separation of the wings and tail from the fuselage that's the intriguing thing. That comes from over-stressing the airframe. I'd guess that the incident started at altitude. I'm also guessing that there'll be a simple answer, and I'm betting that the canopy came open. These aircraft have a clamshell canopy which hinges from the overhead centreline of the canopy. If the passenger's side opens, it is very hard to reach across the cockpit to grab it, and you would need a great deal of strength to pull it down. Then you have to tie it down. All the time you would be trying to fly the plane

 

The size of the pilot would also be a factor. The young fellow who had the incident a month or so back was a big, tall, strong type. If you see some of these student pilots walking around BK, you'd reckon they'd get swept awat in a soda stream.

 

I also heard a rumour that someone from the USA was coming out to investigate the incident. Has anyone heard of the ATSB is taking an interest?

 

Old Man Emu

 

 

[Guest brentc]

You can be assured that the ATSB will be in attendance for this one, especially being a moderately new aircraft type to the country.

 

Wings and tail falling off would be very extreme. Were they close to the wreckage? If they were less than a hundred metres or thereabouts from the wreckage, it's unlikely that they came off in flight.

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

there was a mention in the late news the day it happened that it went thru some trees beore hitting the ground , if so then this would explain the seperation of wings from the fuselage.

 

ozzie