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Light aircraft crash Hervey Bay 31/01/2024


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A report of a light aircraft crashing in Queensland after making a radio call over Hervey Bay. The pilot escaped with a cut over the eye, but the aircraft caught fire and was destroyed. No other details available at time of writing.

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Dunno if ammonium nitrate would burn. Could be wrong. Potassium nitrate is used by farmers too, that will oxidise aluminium and steel nicely, turned the whole thing into one giant flare. Potassium nitrate, or potash is the oxidiser in black gunpowder and solid fuel rockets. Ammonium nitrate is used as a plastic explosive. Normally needs a shock wave to set it off. I believe American soldiers used to burn C4 as a camp fire fuel in Vietnam, it's that benign.

 

That's just speculation. I'm not sure there's a reason to carry lots of that in a plane, I would have thought you would normally truck it 

Edited by danny_galaga
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1 minute ago, facthunter said:

ammonium Nitrate is a strong oxidiser and will explode with oil or organic matter.   Nev

Doesn't it need a supersonic shock wave to knock the oxygen molecule lose though? Hence it's use as a plastic explosive? Potassium nitrate oxygen molecule is ready to strip off with just heat. 

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Just googled. Extreme heat due fire can release oxygen in ammonium nitrate, resulting in explosion, like in Beirut. I stand corrected on that front.

 

Still as you've pointed out, this wasn't an explosion.

 

 

Edited by danny_galaga
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C4 is not Ammonium Nitrate, and yes it does burn without exploding. C4 is a plastic explosive that is composed of RDX (Cyclotrimethylene-trinitramine) as the main explosive ingredient, along with a plasticizer and a binder. 

Ammonium Nitrate purchases, storage of it, and transport of same is highly controlled here and it is extremely unlikely the aircraft was carrying any of it.

You need a permit to buy more than a small amount of Ammonium Nitrate, unless you can prove you have a specific approved need for it, such as agricultural use. In bulk amounts, it is classed as Dangerous Goods. 

Every State has Dangerous Goods (Security Risk Substances) legislation which oversees everything to do with products that can be explosive and which can be sought out by criminals and terrorists.

 

The aircraft fire does seem to have been exacerbated by additional flammable or oxidising material. It will be interesting to see what comes out of the crash report.

 

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-is-ammonium-nitrate-the-chemical-that-exploded-in-beirut/

 

https://www.police.wa.gov.au/Your-Safety/Counter-terrorism/Ammonium-nitrate-and-explosives#:~:text=Ammonium nitrate is commonly used,sought by terrorists and criminals.

 

Edited by onetrack
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A guess is maybe a fuel line leak or ruptured fuel tank that leaked fuel into cabin area and ignition on impact???  Don't know just a guess as the discussion is about the fire damage and how it occurred.

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It IS extremely ODD that the cabin was completely burnt and the wing unscathed where the fuel IS. There's enough plastic there to burn NOT EXPLODE. I use it as a fertiliser.  Nev

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15 hours ago, Blueadventures said:

A guess is maybe a fuel line leak or ruptured fuel tank that leaked fuel into cabin area and ignition on impact???  Don't know just a guess as the discussion is about the fire damage and how it occurred.

That was my thought too. Just the right circumstances that the fuel continued to flow while burning in the cabin. A giant kerosene lamp. 

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