Seaplane Crash-lands in Tassie Lake

[jetstar1]

Seaplane crash-lands in lake
From: AAP By Julie Tullberg
February 05, 2006
TEN passengers and a pilot are lucky to be alive tonight after a seaplane lost power and plunged on to a remote lake in Tasmania's west.
After the plane's engine cut out, the pilot alerted air safety authorities of his forced emergency landing into the southern end of Lake Burbury.
On board were were eight people from Victoria and two French passengers, as well as the pilot.
A Tasmanian police spokesman said the emergency landing, at 6.18pm (AEDT), was successful, with everyone on board escaping injury.
Power to the single-engine aircraft was lost at 5.52pm (AEDT) and the aircraft took 26 minutes to descend and land safely on the lake.
The passengers had chartered a scenic flight in Strahan.
The amphibious aircraft, known as a Cessna Caravan, is operated by Wilderness Air in Strahan.
A police spokesman said local ambulance, fire services and SES crew attended and the Westpac rescue helicopter was called in, with a second helicopter on standby.
"Police were at the scene (at the time of the landing) and report that the pilot and passengers are not injured and there is no damage to property," the spokesman said.
"AUSSAR and air safety will be investigating the circumstances surrounding the emergency landing."
Wilderness Air and Queenstown police are transporting the passengers out of Lake Burbury.
A police spokesman said the passengers praised their brave pilot, who landed the plane after a "serious" warning light had been activated.
news.com.au (http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,18051138-29277,00.html)
Power to the single-engine aircraft was lost at 5.52pm (AEDT) and the aircraft took 26 minutes to descend and land safely on the lake now that is my sort of glide ratio! :ok: no need for high key, low key :}

[rmcdonal]

26MIN!!!!! Fnck!
Thats not a crash landing, you could do a full instrument appch in that time.
Hell you could find an airport in that time. :eek:

[SmoothCriminal]

AUSSAR and air safety will be investigating the circumstances surrounding the emergency landing."

WELL,,,,ERRRR,,,,UMMM,,,,Whatever !!

Whatever the case may be, A job well done :ok:

Smoothie

[pakeha-boy]

rmcdonal.......not sure if you have flown floats and by your comment you have not.I,myself do have quite a few hours doing this type of work in the commercial setting.The A/C quoted, as being a caravan,the Cessna 208,is I believe,what they are refering to.

I have flown the A/C on wheels and floats,and for those that have,will agree this is a great piece of equipment,very docile,great handling,a little underpowered when heavy,very durable and a comfortable single pilot A/C in which to earn your living .

Most of the blokes that fly this type would be considered "scud runners" due to the fact that once the s*&t hits the fan,there is not a lot of reaction time or set up time,thus,put her down where you can philosophy

Seeing a float plane upside down in a lake,or trees is not a pretty site indeed,I have seen a few.Personally,I have not been in that position,but my point here is that,and I congratulate the PIC as this was probably his first "real" emergency landing,whenever one is put in this position,can successfully land the A/C,save all lives,and his own........be able to call the misses and kids and tell them he,s a live,have a friendly chat with the Cheif pilot and the CAA,............I reckon he,s done a bloody good job!!!

A cold beer and a handshake would be the order of the day,..well done mate!!!

[Sunfish]

And the ABC reports:

"Pilot saves 10 passengers in emergency lake landing

Air safety officers are investigating an emergency landing by a small plane on Tasmania's west coast late yesterday.

Police say the Cessna Caravan amphibious aircraft had 10 passengers on board, when its engine lost power.

The plane landed on Lake Burbury, east of Queenstown, without any injuries or damage.

The eight Victorian and two French passengers praised the efforts of the pilot for landing the plane, which is operated by Wilderness Air in Strahan."

One wonders about journalists

[rmcdonal]

pakeha-boy, no I have not flown a 208. before and I wasn't having a go at the pilot or airplane either. I was just impressed with how long it stayed in the air. :} From what Alt would you need to be at to stay up for that long?
And good onya to the pilot :ok:

[TurboOtter]

I think KEvin should have his licence suspended,
He took 26 minutes to land, and NEVER told his passengers that there was an emergency, not like he didn't have time! The passengers should have been ready for impact and have their life jackets out, just in case!
Another report I read said a light came on that meant he had five minutes before the engine stopped. Maybe some other van driver out there can confirm the one light that gives you five mintues before engine stoppage if the fuel light, five minutes left in the hopper tank? So in fact this hero of a pilot ran out of fuel!!
26 minutes gliding at say 500 ft/min? doesn't add up either, was up at 10,000ft? Was the lake at sea level?

[Chronic Snoozer]

Turbo.

Post your source thanks.

[NNB]

this mornings press lists Kevin Peirce as the pilot. He happens to own and operate Wilderness Air; I suggest that if you're going to have an engine caution like this, he's the right person to have driving the bus.
good job well done:ok:

[bilbert]

There is a Reservoir Fuel Low warning annunciator - Red. It illuminates when the fuel level in the reservior tank drops to below one half full. It would mean 3 to 5 mins to when the noise stops.
Unfortunately the authorities treat any engine failure from any cause in the C208 statistically as an IFSD and consequently the safety record for the PT6A-114 has deteriorated below the 1 in 100'000 hrs required for SE IFR.
Such incidents have a serious impact on C208 IFR ops approval.
Lets wait for the investigation before applying hero status.

[Squawk7700]

Seaplane ditches in lake
Holly Lloyd-McDonald
06feb06

A SEAPLANE taking tourists on a joy flight over Tasmania's wilderness ditched in a remote lake after it lost power last night.

Passengers praised the pilot who landed the plane safely after a warning light had been activated in the cockpit, police said.

Eight of the 10 passengers were Victorians and two were French tourists, police said.

All passengers and the pilot were uninjured, police said.

Power to the single-engine Cessna Caravan was lost at 5.52pm and the plane took 26 minutes to descend and land safely on Lake Burbury.

Police said the pilot, Kevin Pearce, 49, brought the plane down on the hydro-electric lake near Tasmania's west coast after alerting authorities.

"Police were at the scene . . . and report that the pilot and passengers are not injured and there is no damage to property," a Tasmanian police spokesman said.

The Wilderness Air flight left Strahan at 5pm for a scenic flight over the upper Gordon River and Franklin River.

It was about 50 minutes into the 80-minute flight when a warning light indicated danger on the plane's control panel.

Water police and local Queenstown police, ambulance and fire crews, the Westpac rescue chopper and the SES were all dispatched as the plane landed on the lake just east of Queenstown. At 6.18pm, the plane safely landed and the passengers applauded their pilot.

The single-engine aircraft skidded on to a mudflat as police and rescue crews watched from a jetty.

Queenstown's Senior Constable Jayson Taws said as Mr Pearce steered the plane parallel to the lake's surface, he dipped the floats from side to side in the water.

The manoeuvre slowed the plane for a controlled landing.

"He skidded on to a mudflat and the plane came to a halt," Sen-Constable Taws said. "They got out unscathed and then they walked up to the jetty."

Sen-Constable Taws said the passengers marvelled at the pilot's skill and quick thinking.

"They're chuffed. They're loving him at the moment," Sen-Constable Taws said. "They think he's a legend."

He said local pilots were skilled at steering their planes around rugged terrain.

"It's wilderness out here and it's wild country," he said.

The Cessna was chartered from Wilderness Air, of Strahan, which has been operating seaplane tours since 1985.

AusSAR, the national maritime and aviation search and rescue service, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority are investigating.

Wilderness Air and Queenstown police last night took the passengers from Lake Burbury to Strahan.

[8Hrs-Bottle2Throttle]

No surprise to me... my parents went for a ride in the same aircraft at the Horizontal Falls. Their report from a non-aviation perspective were that the operation was a fly-by-nighter. The aircraft literally arrived at the field, with no facilities, no steps and a baptism by fire passenger briefing. An elderly woman twisted her ankle when jumping off the floats because there was no steps. Taxxing around chasing crocodiles, eating up valuable takeoff space, flying through valleys at low level to get into some tight spots to land all sounds fun till something goes wrong! I believe the aircraft also has a questionable history. Their comments were along the lines of "so far away from CASA's eyes; out of mind."

[Capt Fathom]

Not sure what the connection is here between Strahan in Tasmania, Carnarvon Gorge in Central QLD., and crocodiles?? :hmm:
Oh, now edited I see, Horizontal Falls, not Carnavon Gorge.

:confused: :confused:

[PLovett]

The aircraft was operated for a time in WA on cross-hire.

I think this is the same operator who lost a C185 on the harbour at Strahan a few years back. Seem to recall something a bit strange about that one. It flipped supposedly while taxying for take-off. :rolleyes:

[Mach.29]

[QUOTE]I congratulate the PIC as this was probably his first "real" emergency landing,

Are we talking about the same bloke?

[Bevan666]

The C185 flipped due to a leaky pontoon.. bugger!

[Tarq57]

Yeah, OK, well done, but as a passenger I would have wanted the emergency briefing, thanks. Or at least to know there was a problem.If this had turned to custard, bracing/seatbelts tight etc could've made a big difference.
Only flown a 208 once (awesome machine), the wheeled one descends about 300-400fpm/90kt with the fan feathered. Pretty good.

[tinpis]

They never give any problems do yer single engine turbines.
Nah...you can fly around all over the place at night no worries mate! :hmm:

[HarveyGee]

tinpis

You don't know what you're talking about. Single turbine safety is a complex issue, but the bottom line is that in comparing fatalities per 100000 hours from all causes, the record of the factory produced single turbines is virtually indistinguishable from that of turbine twins. If you've got a single turbine, and you want more safety, you're better off putting on a second pilot than a second engine.

[troppo]

Tin,
Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit...so keep up the good work! ;)
Trust you are celebrating Waitangi Day :ok:

[Lord Snot]

Mr Pearce said he was hovering near Frenchman's Cap....when he struck trouble.**** hot, a Cessna that hovers. Maybe the reporter meant to say he was hoovering. What a tw@t.


Kevin Pearce, of Strahan in Tasmania's wilderness, said he had five minutes to manoeuvre the single-engine aircraft to safety after a warning light flashed on the control panel.

[tinpis]

tinpis You don't know what you're talking about.

Oh yes Harvey Gee tin DOES know what he is talking about.

Twice ... both partial , both PT-6 and single engine.
Daytime thank gawd , but in some mongrel PNG real estate.

[Lord Snot]

Tin might not know what he's talking about (wanna bet). What's tin talking about...

Who's tin talking about...

Tin sounds ******* when he talks about himself in that ****-person style.

Snot also had a PT6 poop itself(I find that difficult to believe), by the way. SNot fun when there is snot a second donk to get you home. Got a re-light (this woomera is thinking of the ways a PT6 can fail and the limited possibilities for a re-light) before Snot had to dead-stick it or step out. (He is also thinking back to his days dropping meatbombs and the reaction of his boss to 'stepping out' of the beat up old C182 for anything less than wing seperation)

A real man(one with chest hair and a deep voice?) straps in again even after having a flame-out in a SE kite. Real men aren't afraid(they are you know...dumb ones aren't)

Is it school holidays...LS you're not really W Mitty by any chance?

Ethereal Woomera

[gaunty]

And there's the problem, I know both tin and Harvey and I know they both know what they are talking about, and they are both right.:ok: :8

'Cept I don't think they are talking about quite the same thing.:cool:

Gets popcorn, drags up chair and watches.:E

[tinpis]

Tin is confused:uhoh:

Harvey it is better to have 2 pilots in a single engine turbine powered aircraft that has had a power failure than one pilot in a twin engine plane with one failed?

Lemmee see...1+1=2 hmmm...1 - 1 = 0 ....er..2-1=1

Nah

[Lord Snot]

That's because Tin can't work out who he's talking about.

Tin's obviously been out in the heat again without his terry-towelling hat. He thinks he's "Drapes...." (http://www.pprune.org/forums/member.php?u=32341)

[pakeha-boy]

rmcdonal.....do the math!!! does it really matter....26 mins,10 mins ......as soon as you rotate???who cares....look at the end result....anything in between the part when it went bad to the outcome is meaningless....no cameras,no FDR,no Black Box.....

Tinpis....right on the money mate!!!!!....waitangi day was/is great....people are trying to invent culture,we already have it.....PB

[TurboOtter]

In the SMH.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/pilot-saves-10-lives-in-lake-landing/2006/02/06/1139074115982.html

and another one same sort of lines

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=85450

Still sounds like the flash was the fuel warning light!
Love to know what really happened!!

[dmussen]

All of the above makes great reading. 26 mins @ say 800 ft/min (feathered) into a lake in Tas. Sh1t!!!!! some Caravan. Where do I buy one? Watch out for the dreaded press errors folks, there is nothing worse than to be feed on bull ****. REMEMBER everybody walked away.
IF THE NUMBER OF LANDINGS ARE EQUAL TO THE NUMBER OF TAKE-OFFS ONE CAN SLEEP ON THE NIGHT AND TOMORROW IS ANOTHER DAY.

However I feel that beer or better may be appropriate. Yr. comments K.

[...still single]

26 minutes?
Clearly not a caravan. Obviously, it was a PC-12 on floats...

[Woomera]

Thread returned after editing.

Woomera

[ANDRE25i]

yeah perhaps

[Runway37]

No Doubt it was VH-KLP... registered that after Kevin and Lisa Pearce (not surprisingly), the owner(s).

The aircraft was operated in WA not long ago and does so most other years at the Horizontal Falls, by none-other than Kevin himself; no cross-hire arrangement there; it's purely a seasonal thing, up in WA for the dry season and in Tassie for the wet season, which just happens to be summer down there; the only real time that anyone could tolerate the god-forsaken weather down there.

I remember looking closely at it and it had a god-awful paint job, where for example they used a piece of paper and tape so that the rego didn't get painted over during the respray... perhaps a sign of something more cinister...??? or you can't judge a book by it's cover????

Oh, and it's the 208, not the 208B, so only a small-fry.... perhaps that's how it gets it's remarkable glide ratio.

[rmcdonal]

Hey Woomeri what did you do with that big post regarding the operator? Did the poster not have the facts to back it up? :confused:

[HarveyGee]

If the moderators will permit a little facetiousness, and risking the thread getting off topic, there indeed once was a Cessna that hovered - it was called the CH-1 (CH presumably for Cessna Helicopter) - looked a bit like a 150 with a rotor.......circa 1955-1961 - none left now I believe.

[crash_comics]

I had an "ïncident" once, and when it happened, all someone could do is write it in this forum and tell the whole world. As "they" say, there are pilots that have done it and others that haven't done it yet. I think most pilots that have had an incident, leave there opinions at home, the others, well, just looks at most of these mere opinions...

[Woomera]

rmcdonal. We have that post in a safe place........... :} It was not a matter of whether there was facts to back up the post, rather it was not appropriate it remain on public view.

Harvey. Yeah, I guess the CH-1/YH-41 "Seneca" does look a little like a C150!!
http://avia.russian.ee/foto/cessna_h-41_1.jpg

But did you know there was also a Cessna 620 - and it wasn't a pair of 310's strapped together!! :}

Woomera

[tinpis]

Tin's obviously been out in the heat again without his terry-towelling hat. He thinks he's "Drapes...."

Hah ! Silly boy..Drapes is a PPRunE bot employed in JB.

[the wizard of auz]

Bwahahaha. its almost believable, tins.

lets see.........26 minutes at say 500fpm. I get 13000 ft. probably 1000fpm with the wiplines dangling out there, and highly unlikely it was FL260, would point to either partial power loss or a fuel light. I would hazard fuel or oil light or chip detector light to get 26 more mins out there. pretty rare for a partial in the turbs.
Now as this was a 208 and not the 208B with 114a, that would make it 75horses lighter, so maybe the glide ratio was improved without the extra 75 horses being dead weight. :E
I guess we will all know when the report comes out. :}

[TurboOtter]

Realistically speaking you can get about 450 ft/min on floats in the glide, feathered and all. the do glide great, but that still puts him up at 11,000.
Maybe it was from when the light when on. so 21 mintues of glide, that's about 9,000. But I guess the reality is that it "seemed" like 26 minutes, whic could put him at any height!

Still why weren't the passengers told?

Woomera what happened to the long thread about this operator? I have looked into it further and alot of it was fact

[VH-XXX]

XXX quotes Bilbert - "There is a Reservoir Fuel Low warning annunciator - Red. It illuminates when the fuel level in the reservior tank drops to below one half full. It would mean 3 to 5 mins to when the noise stops."

Yep, we tried it on the ground in the 208b... 6 minutes at idle power! 30 seconds to a minute in the air???