Engine failure in SA

[Guest pookemon]

Image on the article doesn't tell me what it is (I'm sure some eagle eye's on the forum will know) or what it's driven by - maybe a VW? Looks like a Anti-Clockwise prop to me so not rotax. 2 pob - minor injuries - so a good outcome.

 

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-08-01/kit-plane-crash-lands-in-paddock-at-stirling-north-near-port-au/4858710

 

 

[flyvulcan]

Lightwing?

 

 

[rdarby]

That goes to show how little vegetation can stuff you up. I bet from the air it looked like a smooth paddock to land in, but anything over about 6 inches of grass, especially scrub, will just be too much.

 

 

[JEM]

According to the SA Police website it was a Lightwing LW 1

 

 

[dodo]

That goes to show how little vegetation can stuff you up. I bet from the air it looked like a smooth paddock to land in, but anything over about 6 inches of grass, especially scrub, will just be too much.

Umm.. that's saltbush country. Not much grass involved. Look at the bloke on the left - he is knee deep in it.

 

Think of it as a lot of foot high road bumps scattered around the place.

 

dodo

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Yes Lightwing me thinks, they did built early ones with Aeropower VWs in them .............Maj..drool:

 

 

[Steve Donald]

That goes to show how little vegetation can stuff you up. I bet from the air it looked like a smooth paddock to land in, but anything over about 6 inches of grass, especially scrub, will just be too much.

Yep rough paddock I new exactly what the terrain was like 582 engine the plane is a right off great airframe like the jabs no surging this in most others my mate got head slashed 2 stitches and seat belt burn and bruises and me I got a broken back rather me than my passenger I am druged up but want facts out there not speculations hell I'm sore but ok

 

 

[metalman]

Yep rough paddock I new exactly what the terrain was like 582 engine the plane is a right off great airframe like the jabs no surging this in most others my mate got head slashed 2 stitches and seat belt burn and bruises and me I got a broken back rather me than my passenger I am druged up but want facts out there not speculations hell I'm sore but ok

Good to hear, get well mate, good job

 

 

[David Isaac]

Bad luck Steve.

 

That bloody salt bush country certainly is NOT a good airfield. Main thing is you are alive

 

 

[Compulsion]

Glad you survived the accident. Aircraft can be replaced. We all get trained what to do but luckily most of us don't get tested by the real thing. It took a cool head and good skills to put down and survive. I really hope you are on the mend soon.

 

 

[Teckair]

Yep rough paddock I new exactly what the terrain was like 582 engine the plane is a right off great airframe like the jabs no surging this in most others my mate got head slashed 2 stitches and seat belt burn and bruises and me I got a broken back rather me than my passenger I am druged up but want facts out there not speculations hell I'm sore but ok

Rough day glad you are sort of OK mate.

 

 

[cooperplace]

Good to hear, get well mate, good job

Yep rough paddock I new exactly what the terrain was like 582 engine the plane is a right off great airframe like the jabs no surging this in most others my mate got head slashed 2 stitches and seat belt burn and bruises and me I got a broken back rather me than my passenger I am druged up but want facts out there not speculations hell I'm sore but ok

Steve that sounds like a nasty injury. Hope it isn't as bad as it sounds get well soon.

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Looks like you did the best you could Steve, least you missed the big power lines in the background of the photo posted. Rest up mate..............Maj...

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Steve, What was the rego on your plane if you don't mind......................Cheers Maj...

 

 

[AVOCET]

Hi Steve , hope you get well soon ,

 

Bad day today 1 st August ,

 

I took off at 9 am for an hour of flying ,

 

300 ft and the engine quit , lucky I've got duel fuel , after the initial shock I switched over to the multipoint SDS fuel inj. And the engine sprang back to life ,

 

Upon examination I found dirty fuel BP 98 that I got from port Augusta , clogged the fuel filter ,

 

I drained all the fuel and was amazed at how much crud was in the system ,ill be filtering all the Mogas from now on !

 

I think there is a bad Bach of fuel out there ,

 

I don't know the cause of your engine failure ,

 

But IDE be looking pretty close at the fuel ,

 

My engine just stopped suddenly without warning ,

 

The neighbors were at the next property with the sheep and heard me take off and then silence , I pretty quickly turned around and landed ,

 

I got a phone call tonight after them hearing on the news about your forced landing , they thought it might have been me ,

 

I'm really sorry to hear about your injuries ,

 

It's still all to real for me , it's comming up to two years since my prang ,

 

Where are you now ? In port Augusta hospital , or have they taken you to adalaide ?

 

If I can be of any assistance now or in the future , don't hesitate to contact me

 

Cheers and thank goodness , it could have been worse .

 

Mike Sharples

 

Druidvale Hawker. 018 phone

 

 

[Steve Donald]

Hi Steve , hope you get well soon ,Bad day today 1 st August ,

I took off at 9 am for an hour of flying ,

 

300 ft and the engine quit , lucky I've got duel fuel , after the initial shock I switched over to the multipoint SDS fuel inj. And the engine sprang back to life ,

 

Upon examination I found dirty fuel BP 98 that I got from port Augusta , clogged the fuel filter ,

 

I drained all the fuel and was amazed at how much crud was in the system ,ill be filtering all the Mogas from now on !

 

I think there is a bad Bach of fuel out there ,

 

I don't know the cause of your engine failure ,

 

But IDE be looking pretty close at the fuel ,

 

My engine just stopped suddenly without warning ,

 

The neighbors were at the next property with the sheep and heard me take off and then silence , I pretty quickly turned around and landed ,

 

I got a phone call tonight after them hearing on the news about your forced landing , they thought it might have been me ,

 

I'm really sorry to hear about your injuries ,

 

It's still all to real for me , it's comming up to two years since my prang ,

 

Where are you now ? In port Augusta hospital , or have they taken you to adalaide ?

 

If I can be of any assistance now or in the future , don't hesitate to contact me

 

Cheers and thank goodness , it could have been worse .

 

Mike Sharples

 

Druidvale Hawker. 018 phone

. Thanks Mike yea I had 98 hp pt Augusta still here I need more X-rays a ct before they move me to see how much chord involvement is there I am optimistic I can feel everything and move it and the pain is a good thing just for the record the iPad survived and OzRunways was still runing sorry about the spelling and punt I can't focus real good and thanks to all of you well wishers on the forum and for some that have not had a prang there are lots of options when the fan stops pick one and commit to it fly all the way in treat it just like a normal short field landing on your home strip always the best outcome even if you do get hurt ok got to go this nurse is gona kill me in sec if I don't put the iPhone away cheers everyone

[turboplanner]

Yep rough paddock I new exactly what the terrain was like 582 engine the plane is a right off great airframe like the jabs no surging this in most others my mate got head slashed 2 stitches and seat belt burn and bruises and me I got a broken back rather me than my passenger I am druged up but want facts out there not speculations hell I'm sore but ok

Brilliant job Steve, and thanks very much for posting under horrific medical conditions; we'll be thinking of you as the treatment progresses.

 

 

[rdarby]

Thanks for being so sharing Steve, I really hope you are okay. I think you did a great job of dealing with it, and after looking a bit closer at the salt bush and how tough it is, you did an amazing job! Now relax and enjoy the nurses!

 

 

[dazza 38]

Hi Steve, I hope really hope that yourself and you pax recover quickly from your injuries.

 

 

[Guest Andys@coffs]

hmmm puts the whole AVGAS or MOGAS question in stark contrast.........

 

If there is fuel left in the tank I wonder if its worth getting tested? (Both of you) Crud in the lines tells you that at some stage it was introduced (and not necessarily just between now and last filter change.....It probably takes a while to make its way from the tank to the filter in total....As to BP 98 at Pt Aguta ......Id want a bit more analysis before claiming it was the smoking gun!

 

Hope the hospital stay and the after affects are both short.

 

Andy

 

 

[facthunter]

I thought I posted , but here I go again. Good luck with the spine Steve and take care . The fact of having feeling everywhere is good, and local pain is better than referred pain in that situation (But still can be dreadful). We are all thinking of you. Nev

 

 

[Neil_S]

Hi Steve,

 

All the best with your recovery. The fact you are sending updates from your phone and getting told off by the nurses is good .

 

Hope all goes well - keep us informed.

 

Cheers

 

Neil

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

Many thanks Steve for your prompt and informative posts, which may help the rest of us in the future. Sure makes up for all those other prangs- where we hear nothing and conjecture takes over. All the best.

 

 

[Steve Donald]

Many thanks Steve for your prompt and informative posts, which may help the rest of us in the future. Sure makes up for all those other prangs- where we hear nothing and conjecture takes over. All the best.

Thanks everyone for your thoughts and best wishes, and yea I found it helpful to put it out there as well as helpful to others in some way, my mate Rob went home this morning couple of stitches in his head and a sore bum and wrist The press here wrote it up wrong made me sound awfull saying my pass went to hospital and me being worried more about the plane, I actually was scrambling around and found my first aid kit and treated robs head,the aircraft was of no importance once rob was off to the hospital I phoned RAAus and gave them the info Astb then phoned me as did SAR so I was at the scene for 1.5hrs b4 I left for the hospital but I didn't know my back was broke I just had pain, weird as it sounds no pain when it happened just shows be careful post accident, you can be in a really bad state and not know it

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

hmmm puts the whole AVGAS or MOGAS question in stark contrast.........If there is fuel left in the tank I wonder if its worth getting tested? (Both of you) Crud in the lines tells you that at some stage it was introduced (and not necessarily just between now and last filter change.....It probably takes a while to make its way from the tank to the filter in total....As to BP 98 at Pt Aguta ......Id want a bit more analysis before claiming it was the smoking gun!

 

Hope the hospital stay and the after affects are both short.

 

Andy

I like most everybody else, source fuel from wherever, especially when travelling. However nothing goes into my plane without first going through my Mr Funnel.....adamant on that !!..........I have had very few, if any, fuel- related dramas, and rarely get any water on daily fuel sample checks.

 

I first used the smaller Mr Funnel for years on the Drifter, but when I retired that I bought the bigger one which is the way to go for quicker fuelling . With today's ever-changing and often doubtfully fuel quality, I wouldn't leave home without one !!.....Maj...