Air Ngukkur Chieftan Lands on Darwin Beach

[Ang737]

Just saw on the midday news a Air Ngukurr cheiftain forced landing on the sand dunes in Darwin. Anyone know what happened ??? Dont tell me Shonkey was flying

[Willie Nelson]

WARNING......WARNING......This is purely speculation on my part. It might well be some time till we hear the facts of the case.

Wonder if it might have been an inboard / outboard fuel starvation problem. The only knowledge I have about the accident is the picture I saw on the midday news also.

If I am correct, any new PA-31 drivers beware; most operators expect you to leave approximately 10-20 L per side in the outboard fuel tanks to keep the rubber cells intact. If for some reason the outboards should be selected and the pilot fail to return to inboards before take off, double engine failure will be nicely timed to coincide with a taxi from somewhere like the Darwin Northern GA to approximately 300' (perhaps a little too high if you were smart enough to do an intersection departure.........again I do not claim to know if this is what happened in this case........ At that point, the apparently simple solution of selecting the opposite tanks (should be inboard) can be wrought with peril as the tank selectors are down on the floor.

I hope everyone is OK, in fact I also hope my speculation is off the mark.........:(

[tinpis]

news.com.au

Plane crash lands on beach
August 10, 2004

A PILOT walked away unharmed after crash landing his plane on a Darwin beach today, police said.

The pilot made a forced landing at a deserted beach in the Nightcliff area about 9am AEST today, a Northern Territory Police spokeswoman said.

The pilot of the Air Ngukurr plane had flown from Bathurst Islands and was en route to Darwin airport when he issued a mayday call.

"The pilot did a really good job in avoiding possible injury," the spokeswoman said.

The Navajo Chieftain plane suffered slight damage to a propeller and was airlifted to nearby Coconut Bay for repairs.





wheres Coconut bay?:}

[victor two]

On news.com.au right now is a story of an Air Ngukurr Piper Chieftan which has made an emergency landing on Nightcliff beach, Darwin. The pilot (named as Hone) was unhurt and walked away.

No further details on the immediate cause at the moment but but no doubt reports will start flooding in from the Darwin crew.

[Ang737]

True it could have been AUX starvation.

It is for this reason that the company I fly with currently that we change to inboards at Top Of Descent and plan the fuel burn from the outboards as the number of minutes prior to TOD. If it was fuel starvation then there is simply no excuse.

Leaving 20lts in the AUXs is a standrad practise by a lot of operators I have seen but still there is no excuse in running them dry. Someones head should roll. :) :)

Ang ;)

[Bevan666]

There by the grace of god go I....

:rolleyes:

Bevan..

[Navajo King]

Report from news.com.au

Plane crash lands on beach
August 10, 2004

A PILOT walked away unharmed after crash landing his plane on a Darwin beach today, police said.

The pilot made a forced landing at a deserted beach in the Nightcliff area about 9am AEST today, a Northern Territory Police spokeswoman said.

The pilot of the Air Ngukurr plane had flown from Bathurst Islands and was en route to Darwin airport when he issued a mayday call.

"The pilot did a really good job in avoiding possible injury," the spokeswoman said.

The Navajo Chieftain plane suffered slight damage to a propeller and was airlifted to nearby Coconut Bay for repairs.

[lackov]

Is it fair to say that due to the individual alledgedly involved in this incident, the authorities will be investigating very thoroughly?

Is it also fair to say that the investigation itself will be scrutinised closely by other parties, again as a result of parties alledgedly involved?

[Capt Fathom]

You're the one telling the story lackov!

[VRB03KT CAVOK]

Nice working on getting it down safely...

Why do the media always have to be so dramatic?
Plane crash lands on beach
Aren't crashing and landing two very different things? Especially when the only damage is to the props.

[watchingthetimes]

http://ntnews.news.com.au/

The pilot was praised. Lets hope this is true. What casues massive engine failure after flying 38nm? 1) Double crank failure, 2) Double too much air, 3) Double catastaphic of some sort.

[watchingthetimes]

Surely you jest.

"Aren't crashing and landing two very different things? Especially when the only damage is to the props."

So by your definition it was not a crash landing. GET REAL. There will be more than prop damage. Especially after the way the chopper set her down. Maybe internal engine damage? Maybe some underside damage.

[Sheep Guts]

Well done to safely walk away . The wierd thing is these things happen in threes in the N.T. 1 Tanami, 2 Coconut Grove, 3 ???????


Sheep

[U2]

So much for multi-engine reliability! A machine is only as safe as it's operator.

What will casa do after this occurrence?

Will we see new regulations, no regulatory action (apart from enforcement) or maybe new management systems?

You know with CASA's new focus on scientific/statistics based approach to safety regulation (problem based regulation rather than theoretically based) one would think that there could be a "new" approach to stopping fuel exhaution/starvation, because it happens so often. I'm not suggesting that this is the cause in this case. However, it is one of the deadly five factors in common crashes.

As an industry we need to come up with "new" idea's on how to prevent fuel starvation/exhaustion for all levels of industry, regardless of compliance standards.

Hasen't some engineer ever invented an emergency fuel system or something?

Actually, I remember seeing an "extra" mixture cable in a M.A.F C206 some months ago. The pilot said the cable; when pulled will allow fuel to flow freely from the tank direct to the injectors. Therefore bypassing fuel selectors, pumps, auxillary pumps etc. I bet M.A.F also has lower insurance premiums on their C206.

What a great idea?

U2

[cherubgrinder]

Glad to hear he wasn't hurt....................physically:ugh:

There will be more than prop damage boys. Try to bulk stips for starters ($100 to 140 thousand).

Anyways, he'll be more valuable now to the company having been through this unfortunate ordeal.......................if he learns by his mistakes .....................had it been his fault??

cheb

[Troopy]

Cherubgrinder

Shonky learn from his mistakes. I would like to see that.
It'll be interesting to hear the report from the investigation. CASA will be licking their lips.
:suspect:

[m-dot]

Who was flying again???????

Oh.

[watchingthetimes]

Just got sent a copy of last nights news.
Interesting.
Anymore informed information from anyone?
CASA investigating?
Company still operating?

[Jamair]

Actually, I remember seeing an "extra" mixture cable in a M.A.F C206 some months ago. The pilot said the cable; when pulled will allow fuel to flow freely from the tank direct to the injectors. Therefore bypassing fuel selectors, pumps, auxillary pumps etc.
Hmmmm....Gravity fed fuel injection on a C206....I'd like to see that..:suspect:

Still doesn't resolve the problem of too much air in the tanks though, does it.:ouch:

Only solution that comes to mind is better planning, which is usually a result of better training and more experience. Can't legislate dumbness out of the human equation.....of course, all this in relation to this event is presumptive of the pilot running the engines out of fuel - fuel starvation or fuel exhaustion - and there has been no word on the event from ATSB so perhaps we should not presume?

[ginjockey]

Whatever the cause I would suggest that based on the recent history of the engines fitted to Piper twins and the still ongoing dispute between relatives of those killed and Lycoming over the cause of the fatal double engine failure accident in the Spencer gulf, the investigation will be ultra thorough and will get down to microscopic detail. Legal parties all over the globe could be hanging their hopes on findings from this accident, should the results turn up something other than the obvious suspected cause.
I couldn't give a crap about all that anyway. I don't know the pilot or company history, don't care but I reckon that he did an amazing job of parking the thing and walking away. One cool pilot under pressure.

[Jamair]

OK, I'll bite.....how does that resolve the problem of absence of fuel? That there is some sort of mod I have no doubt, but raw fuel being allowed to flow via gravity into the induction system. I just don't get (from an engineering standpoint).:confused: Feel free to PM me if you don't wanna send the thread on a tangent (Hey Chimbu Chuck, know anything about this??)

[Chimbu chuckles]

Yeah...flew a couple of aircraft with it in PNG...ex MAF C185s...never game to **** with it meself:ugh:

It's way too far back for me to remember the engineering details but I think it only gave you full power...which got you home or somewhere soft at least.

Chuck.

[tinpis]

Yeah...flew a couple of aircraft with it in PNG...ex MAF C185s...never game to **** with it meself


:p

Yup..remember that gadget well Chuck..as I recall it was activated by tugging like Christ on the crucifix shaped handle on the dash.

[I'm gone!]

Sorry to continue the tangent,

I also recall a mod which used a spring to pull the mixture to "full rich" in the event of a mixture cable breaking. The design of the throttle body and also carbies on 0-470 would allow the mixture "arm" to gravity fall (aided by the normal vibration-Damn recips!) to "fuel cut-off".

Cheers,
I'm gone! (to check me mixture cable! :eek: )

[vhxxxx]

This is not the first time a navajo chieftain has done a beach landing at Darwin. Some 24 years ago a chieftain experienced an engine failure after take off, then flew across Darwin harbour and landed on the other side. The Darwin news showed a front page photo of the aircraft sitting just at the high tide mark. It praised the pilot for his skill in handling the aircraft and in safely landing the aircraft without injury to crew or pax. The Department of transport investigators couldnt understand why the aircraft didnt return to Darwin airport and subjected the pax to a 10 minute joyride at 20 feet across Darwin harbour. By all the rumours at the time, the pilot allegedly only feathered the failed engine when landing was assured.I cannot remember the final result of the findings but the photo clearly indicates a feathered engine.

[Spotlight]

Bill

Welcome aboard.

[The Baron]

Yes, a chieftain was landed on the beach in Darwin a long time ago. From memory I think it was IXP and was one of Ossie's. There was a good "crash comic article" published about it. Basically the aicraft lost a donk just after takeoff, the pilot thought it was still producing some power(wrong!) and didn't feather. Fully loaded aircraft then proceeded to do low level scenic of harbour. Every time he tried to turn he lost height until he had no option but to land on beach. Aircraft landed on wheels and recovered intact before tide came in. All old Arnhem drivers would remember you had to be sharp on efato drills due to the engine rebuilder not giving a stuff.
For those who care Ossie still alive and kicking, Shirley deceased.
Ossie still at old address same, phone number, just had a leg amutated due to diabetes related gangrene.

[helldog]

Troopy your asking for a beltn arnt ya? Look man I could not stop laughing when I got your e-mail, I am sure there is one stocky little arab we worked with also cracking up!:p

Look I am not going to comment here, because I know bugger all about what happened, but I cant wait to hear the cause...what drama:eek:

Serriously, glad you got out Honks.:ok: I am sure one day I will run into you again, so will troopy, we will probably look like this:}
But what the hell its been fun ribbing you along the way. All the best for the next court case tiger;)

[ys120fz]

My recollection (tho not infallible) of the other navajo on the beach incident was that the engine was delivering power, but the turbocharger had failed. The pilot shut it down without checking the MP. He could have managed to get back to the field if he had first checked MP and left it running.

I think he'd taken off 36, and as he turned to get back onto 11, with the engine shut down, he lost altitude to the point it was only ground effect that kept the aircraft airborne (actually water effect) and had only one course, straight ahead to the beach on the other side of the harbour. Fortunately for him he'd managed to get through enough of the turn that there was be ach in front of him, and not only sea/
The one thing I do recall accurately is that when offered assistance by the AFAP, even tho a non member, he told them (actually me, because I offered it) to shove it.
That incident was about 1981 or 82

[sweethart]

Hello all.

Let me say this. Before there is another word spoken, visit this link !!!!!

http://www.atsb.gov.au/aviation/occurs/occurs_detail.cfm?ID=580


Thats all.

lots of love

Big Ded Crok

[YMML]

ys120fz,

I doubt MP would help you identify whether an engine had failed or just the turbo..

At sea level the MP would most likely be ~30 inches completely failed; with a failed turbo; and shut down.

For the sake of others learning, identifying a failed engine prior to shut down should include completely closing the throttle. During this process you have a very good chance of identifying if any power is still being produced or not.

There may be some exceptions to the above but I'm trying to highlight the danger of relying on engine instrumentation alone in piston aircraft to identify failures.

Either way, I don't recommend anyone knocking back the assistance of the AFAP in such circumstances. Good on you for offering it.. :ok:

[tinpis]

Is there a report on this yet?