GSL's yellow terror strikes again!

[VH-XXX]

Yesterday from the Port Macquarie News. Low fuel, gear stuck, I wonder in which order that all happened!


EMERGENCY services rushed to the Port Macquarie airport this morning following reports of an attempted emergency landing.


A dual marine/tarmac plane was forced down on the main runway due to low fuel.

Complications arose from one of the plane's landing gears failing to engage.
The two pilots on board managed to land the stricken plane safely with minimal damage to the plane and just a minor hydrolic oil spill on the runway.

http://www.portnews.com.au/multimedia/images/large/1632003.jpg

http://static.lifeislocal.com.au/multimedia/images/large/1632007.jpg

http://static.lifeislocal.com.au/multimedia/images/large/1631995.jpg

[Ultralights]

This one has me stumped, it happened a few days ago now, if one gear failed to extend, retract and land in the river as usual (or grass) if gear failed to retract after take off, then extend the others and land again on land.
Only situation I can see that would result in an emergency landing would be one wheel extending, one failing to, then a total failure of the system leaving one or more extended and others retracted.
But the question I am asking,is, what about reserves? When discovered gear problem, sure, declare emergency, then use reserves trying to resolve issue, but why declare emergency when reserves are spent?

Oh ****e, I'm starting to sound like

[Arm out the window]

Probably because they used hydrolic oil instead of hydraulic.

:) Sorry mate, couldn't resist.

[T28D]

Land gear up on the grass, perfectly safe and approved method.

[OCTA]

Land gear up on the grass? Why would you do that when you could land on perfectly good water?? And when did landing gear up on grass become approved??? I'd like to see that approval from CASA!

There are plenty of reasons that you can't get either all four up or all four down and its pretty obviouse the people who have commented have never actually flown an amphib!

[VH-XXX]

I've been in an Amphib that landed wheels up on grass. It can be done quite safely, but as you say, as for approvals, that might be a different story, particularly with paying passengers.

[Piano Man]

I like how they describe an amphib!

A dual marine/tarmac plane

Agreed though most amphibs work within a distance of being able to land on either runway or water so if you had 4 wheels not wanting to extend, then head for the water.

[Chadzat]

You think the newspaper article is confusing, the radio calls coming from said aircraft weren't much better! :ugh:

[MakeItHappenCaptain]

OCTA

That's exactly what a sacraficial keel is for, but agreed, I'd rather used the tarmac.

Important rule in life....the book can often be thrown out the window in an emergency.

Rule book that is, not Sec 3 of the POH.:}

[Checkboard]

If you pull the wheels up and land on water - how do you then fix the broken wheel?

[ryanboxer]

dock it at the boss's house, where he has all his maintenance equipment, including winch & crane

[cavok123]

Seems these problems keep hovering around GSL

[VH-XXX]

Hence the title of the thread cavok !

Not the first time the yellow terror has been in the papers.

There was a damaged airvan from memory too and engine failure after that.