Drifter Double Fatality near Lismore

[lbarnes]

Two killed in ultralight plane crash

[Tomo]

Oh my goodness!! that's shocking thumb_down

 

Anyone know who it was?

 

 

[monty]

God Bless the families who are left behind. Just shocking!

 

I hope we can all learn from the details when we get them.

 

Ian, may be the hat could be passed around if needed. Count me in.

 

Monty

 

 

[Guest Walter Buschor]

That's terrible news!

 

What more can I say . My condoleces!

 

Walter

 

 

[Guest Escadrille]

Tragic news indeed. My sincere condolences to their families. Do we know who the victims were yet?

 

 

[Guest JRMobile]

A bit more info at - Rec: Ultralight crash leaves two dead - Lismore Northern Star - Recreational Flying

 

 

[Tomo]

Gee's I hope that wasn't Mike... he was about mid 20's

 

 

[winsor68]

YouTube - mjok2004's Channel

 

I do hope this is not a case of "I told you so"... this video is from a Youtube page... the pilot looks to be in his 20's... from other videos and comments it is obvious he works in electronics... geographical position is correct...

 

Not too long ago there was a thread and posts featuring this clip and pointing out that this sort of manouvre was not safe in a Drifter...

 

 

[Bubbleboy]

Oh my god....watching that clip made me want to vomit with fear!..I hope for his family's sake it is not this fellow. Watching the other clips has astounded me. I was an Undertaker for many years and had the displeasure of putting the results of these actions back together for their families to view. Im astounded..... Thoughts are with those left behind.

 

Scotty :yuk:

 

 

[facthunter]

Airframe structural failure.

 

There has been plenty of instances of aircraft doing manoeuvers that can overload the airframe if the conditions are not correct. (Cof G, weight turbulence suitability of the aircraft, the legality of it, pilot skills) You may well be right winsor68, and of course anything along these lines is SPECULATION. As you say, there has been plenty written on this subject on these forums and my position is well known. Accidents like this are very sad nev

 

 

[Tomo]

YouTube - mjok2004's ChannelI do hope this is not a case of "I told you so"... this video is from a Youtube page... the pilot looks to be in his 20's... from other videos and comments it is obvious he works in electronics... geographical position is correct...

 

Not too long ago there was a thread and posts featuring this clip and pointing out that this sort of manouvre was not safe in a Drifter...

This is Mike, be awful if it was him in the accident... was talking to him recently at Inglewood.

 

He asked if I would like to go up with him, but knowing him previously from the video's - I declined (nothing against his skill in a way, just wasn't real happy with what the aircraft coulda been through.)

 

Which brings up another subject which I'll ask in a new thread.

 

 

[Cosmick]

Was speaking to a young Pilot at the Inglewood Fly-In from Casino and his wife was due in a few days. Was flying the Silver and red aircraft powered by a 503. Too much of a coincidence ? Wanted to try mustering to support family - Sad - sincerest condolences to the young Family

 

 

[JG3]

Yeh, that was the silver/grey Drifter 'flying' at Inglewood all weekend.

 

Need not say more........

 

Sad......

 

 

[Tomo]

Was speaking to a young Pilot at the Inglewood Fly-In from Casino and his wife was due in a few days. Was flying the Silver and red aircraft powered by a 503. Too much of a coincidence ? Wanted to try mustering to support family - Sad - sincerest condolences to the young Family

Tragic, don't like to assume, but I think the puzzle has been made... That's Mike - terrible. Was wanting to be an instructor also, and was talking to me about the Dragonfly aircraft, he wanted to get his tug endorsement also apparently.

 

 

[Guest Crezzi]

Yeh, that was the silver/grey Drifter 'flying' at Inglewood all weekend.

At least he didn't do it at Inglewood

 

 

[Spin]

Was on the news a while ago - Tomo, sounding more and more as if you made an extremely good call in not going up, probably not too many hours between your offer and the accident. Eye witness spoke of hearing a crack and seeing the one wing "fold back" before the aircraft spiraled in. Non aviation people are notoriously unreliable witnesses, but it really is starting to look as if it was what we all feared. Tragic.

 

 

[winsor68]

If this is the perpetrator I think I will reserve my condolences for the victims... his passenger, wife, children and the other people left behind to clean up his mess.

 

 

[lbarnes]

I too had looked at this drifter when it was up for sale. I inspected it and found it had significant corrosion on steel parts including the flying wires. There was also corrosion on the crimps near where the flying wires attach to the fuselage.

 

Speaking with three CFIs regarding the aircraft i found that the drifter had started life as an American Maxair Drifter that had had a forced landing in salt water. The drifter was rebuilt with Fisher parts and rebirthed as a Fisher MkI.

 

The people i had spoken to warned me that i would need to strip the aircraft, replace corroded parts including the flying and landing wires. This was enough to deter me form proceeding with the purchase.

 

When i found that Michael had bought the Drifter i sent him a message outlining my concerns regarding the corrosion, particularly the flying wires i dont know if he replaced the wires or not.

 

Some time later when i saw his youtube videos all i could think of was those flying wires and yesterday when i read that a drifter had pranged locally i had a terrible feeling that it would be the red and black maxair formerly of Tyagarah.

 

http://www.taoshighspirits.com/drifter.htm Go down the the page for the correct aircraft. Its previous owner called it 'Windwalker'.

 

I think, with hindsight, that Tomo may show sense beyond his years.

 

So sad.

 

Luke

 

 

[alf jessup]

My condolences to the wife and familys and passengers family.

 

If you continue to play with fire eventually you will get burnt if your lucky, in aviation you dont get too many chances.

 

Watching the video I was amazed the poor fellow lasted this long, not condoning his piloting skills in any way which he seemed to have, Just condoning his lateral thinking in doing it in this type of aircraft and let alone with friends in it.

 

Yeah looks great for all your friends to see you doing these awesome manovers but do it my yourself as you have the life of your friends in your hands, so all out there before you decide to beat it up have a think about the concequenses as you don't get any deader the death itself.

 

Fly safe and let us all learn something from this unfortunate accident.

 

Alf

 

 

[Guest Wigg]

I agree Alf condolence to all families involved with this tragic accident. Know the limits odf the aircraft you are flying & remember the aircraft limits are set there for a reason. Don't be a cowboy & try to stretch them as you can be assured it will come unstuck & this is the result. My father has a saying "1 drop fatal" & I am fast becoming a believer in it as well. Sue

 

 

[flyby]

It is tragic, but let's be clear these drifters (fisher's) if registered VH can fly aero.

 

 

[lbarnes]

No Flyby, the AC in question was not a Fisher, it was an old American Maxair rebuilt and rebadged as a Fisher homebuilt for registration purposes.

 

Wayne Fisher makes two types of Drifter, one that is capable of aerobatics and one that is not. Know your aircraft and fly within its limits and the limits of the regulatory regime under which it is registered.

 

Ignore the limits and it is the people left behind who will pay the price.

 

By the way, i am not Drifter-phobic, flying with Wayne Fisher in a Drifter would have to rate as one of the best experiences of my life and I would probably give my left one to own a Fisher MkI.

 

Luke

 

 

[monty]

I'm with you Luke,

 

I trained with Wayne Fisher for my licence and it would be one of the best experiences in my life. He is an awesome pilot. Wayne fully rebuilt my drifter while I was there but it still is an old Austflight Drifter (even though it is a lot better) and still has the original limitations. I also would give my left one for a fisher MK1 or Mk2

 

Monty

 

 

[Tomo]

Have to agree with you about Wayne, great pilot who knows his aircraft - he put me into a spin in his Drifter once and told me to get it out... only been up with him once, but I still remember his tips and advice, also made me do a dead stick landing at the time. (which Is a funny feeling at first, but a great experience, I now do it myself every now and then).

 

One thing I can clearly remember him showing me is making everything smooth, as in smooth control deflections... something I now do myself. Smooth doesn't mean slow exactly, just don't do anything abruptly and forcefully.

 

Missed him at Inglewood this yr, he had to finish an aircraft I believe before he went over seas.

 

Oh and yes, the MK1... saw one at Inglewood and immediately fell in love, even dad said "Hey Tom get one of these" now that is amazing coming from a father who isn't real keen on flying. He was pretty impressed with the quality and design of it, as was myself.

 

===========

 

Just a little on the Drifter accident, Dad remembers leaning against one of his stay wires at Inglewood while talking to him, and he said the wire was all rusty where it went into the crimp. It grabbed his attention first when he noticed the wires weren't smooth as what ours usually are. If I'd have noticed it (didn't look that hard at the time) I should have pointed it out that it isn't airworthy in that state. Kicking myself I didn't now.

 

 

[monty]

Tomo don't kick yourself, Everyone knows what airworthy means and it is up to the individual owner to keep it that way. Probably a case of can't afford it having a young family and everything. that is why I have only just started flying 14 months ago. all my kids have grown up.

 

Monty