Kwik pilot flies into power lines

[Phil Perry]

Today ( 1st Aug ) young student flying a Kwik ( 912 100HP flexwing trike) . . . flew into national grid power lines after becoming unsure of his position on a navex.

 

The national grid Pylons were ( apparently) easily visible, but the student still managed to fly into the suspended power lines, ( 132KV ) resulting in the aircraft being thrown to the ground, and destroyed.

 

The pilot survived with severe multiple injuries, but is expected to make a full recovery, as none of his injuries are life threatening. . . ..

 

A local fire officer is repoted to have commented that. . . . that the lines which were struck, were quite a long stretch,. . .and would have been difficult to see from the air. . . .( Oh,. . .he must have been a pilot then, . . .usually, only US Lads and Lassies know about that,. . .but I'll forgive this bullcrap as it was treported by the local press and is therefore suspected as being full of totally uneducated b*******t. . . .)

 

 

[old man emu]

Bet it was shocking for him.

 

OME

 

 

[Phil Perry]

Bet it was shocking for him. OME

Surprisingly,. . . .he bounced off the grid power lines with no electrical burns,. . . . . .wot a lucky man,. . . . not really surprising,. . .as he wasn't "Earthed" when the impact occurred. . . .HOWEVER,. since the aircraft then dropped approx eighty feet to the ground,. . . his list of injuries include : 2 broken legs ( one in 2 places ) fractured base of skull,. . .broken right arm, severe compound fracture to right shoulder / pectoral rotational cuff,. . . right elbow shattered,. right wrist severely damaged, left collarbone fracture, three ribs ( left side) broken at sternum, severe lacerations to face, chest and back,. . . three fingers broken on right hand. . .but otherwise OK.

 

These brief and basic details were supplied to me in confidence this afternoon by one of the surgeons at the hospital, who just happens to be an owner / pilot at our airfield,. . . .so DON'T tell anyone I told you. . . . ( bugger of a first solo navex though, to be fair. . . .)

 

 

[Gnarly Gnu]

not really surprising,. . .as he wasn't "Earthed" when the impact occurred. . .

Doesn't need to be earthed, just need to connect two of the lines to become instantly crispy. Fortunately they are a good distance apart carrying that voltage. Very fortunate to survive the fall too, hope he recovers fully.

 

 

[jakej]

You call that ok ? Better than the worst thing that can happen I guess

 

 

[Phil Perry]

Slight update to my earlier post on the Quik.

 

One of my aerofriends from the area where this incident ocurred, said that the visibility was quite poor at the time of the accident, the weather had deteriorated quickly against the forecast, over a couple of hours, and the student pilot of the quik was on a solo navex. He became uncertain of position ( these damn instructors won't let you have a GPS on these flights ! ) and reduced his altitude due to a lowering cloudbase.

 

He had disoriented himself by weaving all over the place, trying to get back to his base as the weather started going off - forecast, and "Probably" would not have seen the steel pylons, therefore been oblivious to the cables. My only comment about that one, ( apart from the obvious WHY SO LOW ? ) would be what's wrong with a precautionary landing and a phone call ? Students are never sent on routes where they couldn't do this, ie, across the Welsh mountains or the Lake District. . . I guess that the "press on regardless" syndrome might have been ameliorated if he'd been a fully fledged fleigendumpkoff like the rest of us old hands on this forum. . .( ! )

 

Anyway, he will live to fly another day thankfully.

 

 

[old man emu]

Let's not have fun at his expense. I bet he'll be one pilot who will never fly into Cumulo-granitus.

 

OME