Guest ozzie Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 Sunrise reported this morning of an accident at Wedderburn. The pilot stated he could not make it back to the strip after power failure and crashed into the trees, he was uninjured, aircraft was a 19 rego low wing with double struts green and white. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slartibartfast Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 Video of the accident aftermath here. Lucky man. Sunday was my first time into Wedderburn. It's a lovely strip, but it is completely surrounded by trees. There are no options but to try to get lucky amongst them. Doug said it made maintenance really important. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ozzie Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 Flew in and out of there a while back a few times. scared the willys out of me. to me you have to have an out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Maj Millard Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 Gee not too much damage, might even be repairable. Must have been a fun ride through the trees. What type engine.....what made it stop......fuel exhaustion ?.........enquiring minds want to know !............................ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slartibartfast Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 The RAAus register says it's a VP2, so probably VW conversion. The pilot said in that video that it is hand started, so he couldn't restart it. Looked like a VP2 - a very nice one too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ultralights Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 reported in todays paper that the pilot dipped the nose up and down to gain speed before crashing! Journalists are funny... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Maj Millard Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 Yes I agree it did look like a nice VP 2. Wether he 'dipped the nose up or down' doesn't matter, he obviously 'flew the aircraft' No1, and 'navigated' No2. Even though he didn't make the strip, he's done a real good job of carrying out a 'controlled crash' IE: keeping control of the aircraft, with resulting nil injuries to himself. I say from this vantage point..'Well done !'. I once had to land in a pine forrest under a square parachute after a mis-spot. There's not really a lot you can do until 20 ft above the trees, where you just try and pick one that looks a bit friendly !!.................................................................................................... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlps73 Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 This is the NewsFlash from the SAC president........ Dear SAC member This message is to clarify the details of an incident that occurred at the airstrip on Monday evening. Our member, Fayez Abbas, experienced an engine failure in his Volksplane VP2 on final approach. The aircraft landed in the trees 50 metres short of the airfield boundary. Fayez emerged almost totally unhurt. He has a sore finger. The aircraft is extensively damaged. One wing is severely damaged, and the severity of the damage to the remainder of the aircraft is, as yet, unassessed. Four police cars, a fire engine and an ambulance attended the scene. Fayez went to hospital for precautionary examination, and was released shortly afterwards. David Rittie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slartibartfast Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 Thanks for the update Doug. I agree with Maj - he did a great job arriving at the scene of the crash still under control. The temptation to keep lifting the nose must have been overwhelming. When I approached on Sunday, I deliberately came in high until I was sure I would make the strip no matter what, then side-slipped it's little heart out (no flaps). I thought I must have arrived too fast, because it kept floating. After landing I looked back to see that there's quite a downward slope on 35. That'll do it. I hope the plane and the finger are repaired soon. Ross Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ledsled Posted November 11, 2009 Share Posted November 11, 2009 Emergency checks In relation to the volksplane accident at Wedderburn. It appears that the pilot may have inadvertantly knocked off the ignition switch causing the engine to fail. Unfortunately this was not picked up by the pilot in his emergency checks. The engine had just been fully inspected and given a tick. Reinforces the importance of doing your checks.IF TIME PERMITS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Qwerty Posted November 11, 2009 Share Posted November 11, 2009 Gday Ledsled I have noticed several a/c with unguarded Mag switches. In the three recent instances, the switches were right where they could get knocked OFF in the normal course of using maps etc in flight. It might be worth doing a bit of an education campaign about it. Cheeers, Qwerty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motzartmerv Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 Great job, an engine failure anywhere at wedderburn would be nasty. Don't know how both mags could be knocked off, but as they say XXXX happens. Checks??. short final with a dead engine?? at wedderburn, i doubt it.. You would only have seconds to choose a nice soft looking tree, any distraction at that altitude and position would be deadly. If he's doing an FCMOST check he wouldn't have had time to get to the "switches" anyway. cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Maj Millard Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 Being Volksy powered he may have only had one Ign switch, if he was running a distributor ?. We had a similiar occurance up here years ago, also in a VP2, and it also ended in a deadstick landing. I have flown with a single ing switch, and you generally are aware that it is important....should be garded for sure IMOP.......................................................... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ledsled Posted November 25, 2009 Share Posted November 25, 2009 Yes, I believe that it was a single ignition. Also there may have been plenty of time to kick in a freewheeling engine. Always fly the plane first and IF TIME PERMITS do the checks. Apparently the pilot was unaware that it would restart as its normally propped.From a third party. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icebob Posted November 26, 2009 Share Posted November 26, 2009 Hi, My VP-2 prop turns with the motor off but not fast enough to re-start, one reason I fitted a electric starter. bob. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HEON Posted November 26, 2009 Share Posted November 26, 2009 I dip my lid on the landing...seems to have been controlled as far as possible into the crash. As for the comment on the stupid location of important switches I can only agree that lack of thought is quite common. On my Rotax 914 the turbo switch is located so the knee can hit it and turn it off while you get in. Having 80hp instead of 115hp on take off can get your attention quickly...now in red on check list! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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