Beeteeen

Also, at 285kg empty weight and 450kg MTOW, two up it's very likely already overloaded if it's carrying any useable fuel. I briefly mussed about one of these in the classifieds a while ago.

I have hesitated to add to this thread; I am a low hours PPL and investigation of this tragic accident is best left to the experts. I have seen what may be the same contributing factors that were summed up in this ‘holes in the cheese’ comment. But I noticed something else, and something tells me to air it here in the hope that maybe we can share it if it’s relevant. I was taught that when you sufferer a wing drop your instinct needs to be to leave the ailerons neutral - an aileron on a stalled wing can’t help and, worse, it adds drag to that wing pulling it further into trouble, and you need to kick in a full boot load of opposite rudder. That helps pull the stalled wing forward and hopefully get it flying again. There is a photo on line taken from behind this aircraft in the instant before impact that suggests that there was full aileron deflection and a neutral rudder at that point. I also have no idea about the performance of this heavy aircraft and if any action could have recovered it at that height. We probably all practiced this recovery technique in training and had to demonstrate it in our license tests. I can’t say what I would do in such an emergency. This recovery technique at low altitude has to be instant and instinctive if it’s to be any use, and that instinct has to be developed to override the normal instinct to pick the wing up with aileron. I don’t know if it’s reinforced in AFRs but it should be. This accident is tragic. I had a look at this aircraft at YSEN last week but I don’t know the crew as some of you do. I hesitate with this post because I’m not the experts, I don’t have the facts and I don’t wish to prejudge the investigation. I will post it because maybe there is something in what I think I have noticed that might be worth other’s comment, and potentially be beneficial to us here.

Thanks pmccarthy. You are right, can't be wasting good years and I would rather be flying ASAP too. There are some used LSAs on the market now (around $80-95K with reasonable hours) that I would be happy to own: two Texans (like yours maybe?) and a Tecnam P2002 that appeal. My thoughts about building mainly relate to initial and ongoing cost - a kit and new motor might be $30K cheaper than a good used plane and, as I understand it, I can do the maintenance and annuals on an Experimental category plane (19 rego or VH Experimental) if I build most of it myself. Also I like the idea of intimately knowing every rivet, rod and pulley under the skin, not to mention the satisfaction of the first flight. The Morgan website claims a 400 hour build time for a Sierra 100 which sounds achievable now that I'm not working, however my instinct tells me to double that knowing how pedantic and deliberate (slow) I am at these things. Still much to think about but I appreciate your perspective. Cheers. B.

I'm new... actually I'm on the ripe side of 60yo now but I'm new to this forum. I caught the flying bug as a kid and managed a few years of gliding about 35 years ago until money and time ran out (job, house, wife, kids.. the whole catastrophe). Now the job and kids have gone (still got the wife) I think I have money and time again. So I got a RA-Aus certificate about 5 years ago and a GA PPL about 2 years ago. Now I'm starting to think about getting an aircraft, probably an LSA of some sort so when CASA gets too punchy about a medical (me - 2, CASA - nil so far) I can fly RA-Aus. Still lots to think about, but, as a starting point, I do like the look of a Morgan Sierra kit (Aussie made and supported, fast, low wing - I do like to see what I'm turning into, and pretty). I also need to convince myself I can build one. Early days yet but I'm sure this community has wisdom and experience that can help me think this through.