Lucky Escape at Mackay Airport

[winsor68]

A Cherokee160 taking off from Mackay airport yesterday suffered engine failure at low altitude right in front of the passenger terminal (maybe 400 feet)...the pilot made a 180 degree turn, over the full Qantas RPT parked on Bay 1 and landed behind the Prime Ministers Jet on the Taxiway in front of the viewing area...Eyewitness reports put the aircraft at a 60 degree bank angle at no more than 150 feet above the Mackay passenger terminal.

 

Strangely this is not front page in the local paper...not that this sort of thing should be blown out of proportion...but I am surprised as this to me could have been a major accident.

 

 

[nathan_c]

Although I don't have a lot of experience to comment with, if he went directly over the top of the Qantas RPT, that seems like poor judgement to me? To me that put a lot of unnecessary lives at risk. If I am missing something however, feel free to correct me, but I cant help but think he could have turned the plane the other way and avoided the area full of planes/people?

 

Cheers,

 

Nathan

 

 

[turboplanner]

14 heads towards the beach

 

 

 

[turboplanner]

14 heads towards the sea.

 

 

[Ewen McPhee]

My instructor says two small statements just before take off - anything goes wrong you have control, aim for maximum 30 degrees either side of flight path. It is a mantra of his, seems almost subconscious. If the fans stops it will probably be the first thing I think now.

 

 

[Guest Qwerty]

Ewen

 

"__________________

 

:raise_eyebrow: Anatidaephobia -"The fear that somewhere, somehow, a duck is watching you." "

 

I may be wrong but I think that you signature block should correctly read;

 

:raise_eyebrow: Anatidaephobia -"The fear that somewhere, somehow, a duck or swan or goose is watching you."

 

Or do I misunderstand?

 

 

[Ewen McPhee]

Ewen"__________________

 

:raise_eyebrow: Anatidaephobia -"The fear that somewhere, somehow, a duck is watching you." "

 

I may be wrong but I think that you signature block should correctly read;

 

:raise_eyebrow: Anatidaephobia -"The fear that somewhere, somehow, a duck or swan or goose is watching you."

 

Or do I misunderstand?

Oh god I was just getting over ducks

[Guest Qwerty]

not to be confused with arachnophobia

 

 

[turboplanner]

Which is fear of Tasmanians

 

 

[Guest Qwerty]

No turbz....Fear of Tasmanians is "Sarcophilusharrisiiophobia" ....I kid you not.

 

What is fear of Tooradinians?.....My mate says its Boofheadphobia but I dont know if I believe him

 

 

[slartibartfast]

[Guest sypkens]

Oh god I was just getting over ducks

Thanks Ewen. that made my day!

 

 

[turboplanner]

No turbz....Fear of Tasmanians is "Sarcophilusharrisiiophobia" ....I kid you not.What is fear of Tooradinians?.....My mate says its Boofheadphobia but I dont know if I believe him

Ssssssssssssssfffffphrssssssssssssskkkkkkkkkkkk - sorry Qwerty, I was just finishing a crayfish at Wings and Fins. (Oh, it's 4.30 and time to go bac k to work)

 

No that wouldn't be right - no one's scared of us.

 

Footnote: We do eat Tasmanian crayfish, but they are fed on Red Bull for a month first.

 

 

[Guest Mad Dave]

I heard a rumour Wings and Fins is closing down. Is that right or just BS?

 

 

[turboplanner]

Hope I haven't eaten them out.....I haven't heard that one.

 

 

[shags_j]

Yeah seems a strange call to me. I was told never to turn around. Not till you're on crosswind should you land on the same runway.

 

Correct me if i'm wrong.

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

for the low time novice it can be deadly. for a high time pilot with a aerobatic endorsment it can be a life saver. stall turn or split a##se turn done right wont loose much height. did anyone from here actually see this incident?

 

 

[facthunter]

Stall turn etc.

 

True enough Ozzie, but as you say, it has to be done right. Going close to a fully loaded passenger jet would take a little justifying, I would think. I wouldn't like to encourage this manoeuver. Nev.

 

 

[winsor68]

More info...

 

Or it could be just gossip...I was not at the airport yesterday...

 

But today it was a big topic of conversation on at least on side of the airport. As described the whole incident seems to have happened even lower than I would ever have imagined...Instructor and student on board...could not have been more than 400 feet...you would not have seen it from the carpark of the Terminal so it all happened very, very low...and was all over in a matter of seconds...Some felt the pilot was a hero with top gun flying ability...other thought him very, very lucky and foolish.

 

 

[Simonflyer]

I guess in the moment your probably going to think of your own skin, but if he turned over the terminal and an RPT then he was putting a lot of lives at risk..

 

Saying that..If it was all pulled off well(which it was), and there is no harm you may say that whoever did it knew what they were doing..I guess if there was a high time instructor in the plane he may well have had a good grip on the situation, and would have known the planes limitations well??

 

Who knows..Its all speculation really..

 

 

[Guest drizzt1978]

I heard a rumour Wings and Fins is closing down. Is that right or just BS?

Yep it is closed down for the moment, dont know if or when it will re open.

 

Cant say to much the Walls have ears...

 

 

[winsor68]

I still can't believe the media have not reported this at all...This had the potential to be one of Australia's biggest aviation disasters and the Prime Minister could have been counted in the victims...and not a word???

 

 

[HEON]

I find it a bit hard to accept with the evidence stated so far the tone of critical comment on some of the posts so far.

 

Would it not be better to accept what seems to have been a better than average bit of flying by a person who, from the results, has probably thought about what to do and possibly practiced it?

 

For anyone who has had the sudden quietness happen would know you are GUIDED by the rules but ACT to your perticular situation to the best of your training and ability to achieve the best outcome...which seems to have been achieved.

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

excellent post Heron. The negative responses posted are usually the result of lack of knowledge, advanced training, and limited experience and fear which are the real killers in situations such as this. I recommend that they should stop driving their aircraft and start flying them.

 

 

[turboplanner]

Would it not be better to accept what seems to have been a better than average bit of flying by a person who, from the results, has probably thought about what to do and possibly practiced it?

1. So far there's no evidence to say this event ever happened.

 

As Winsor68 himself said, it could be gossip.

 

2. I've flown a Cherokee Warrior at 45 degrees, and watched Bob Hoover, and find the 60 degree/no power/very low altitude

 

story hard to believe.

 

3. In a heavy GA aircraft you'd have to be NUTS to practice 180

 

deg turns with engine failure after take off.