French Pilot Grounded on Marion Island

[Gunship]

News 24 (http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/News/0,1113,2-7-1442_1291583,00.html)

Cape Town - The French pilot who was forced to execute an emergency landing on Marion Island on Sunday as a result of heavy snowfalls will only be rescued from the island and brought to South Africa next year.

Richard Skinner of the Enviromental affairs department section dealing with Antarctica and surrounding islands said Henri Chorosz's (66) first opportunity to return to South Africa will only be in February, when polar vessel the SA Agulhas docks on the island.

Chorosz has been accommodated at the South African weather station on the island.

Skinner said Chorosz could meanwhile make his own arrangement if he wanted to leave the island earlier. "We were told French authorities are looking into the matter to see whether a ship might fetch Chorosz off the island at an earlier date," he said.

A South African official at the weather station said on Wednesday that Chorosz had been scratched during the emergency landing.

"He went to have a look at his aircraft, which landed in the snow, on Wednesday," the official said.

Skinner added there was visible damage to the aircraft after it nosedived in the snow on Sunday.

"The wheels and propellor are badly damaged," he said.

A French consulate spokesperson said layers of ice packed on the wings had caused the plane to consume more fuel. As a result Chorosz was forced to land on Marion Island.

Chorosz took off from Cape Town on Saturday in an attempt to cross the earth from pole to pole.

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What sort of plane was it?

And what is it about French adventurers needing rescuing in sub-antarctic waters?

[Gunship]

Die Burger (http://www.news24.com/Die_Burger/Buiteland/0,5824,4-1360_1291478,00.html)

Fransman: Val in moeras

Ekspedisie moes hom wegsleep

LLEWELLYN PRINCE

KAAPSTAD. - Agt lede van die ekspedisie op Marion-eiland moes Sondagoggend ure lank in moerasse spook om 'n geskikte landingsplek te vind vir die Franse vlie'nier wat 'n noodlanding op die eiland moes doen.


Mnr. Henri Chorosz (67) is nie beseer nie. Sy ses meter lange Glasair JI FT-S-vliegtuig, met 'n vlerkspan van vyf meter, is erg beskadig toe sy wiele in die moerasgras vasgehaak het en die tuig op sy rug te lande gekom het.

Die lede moes hom haastig uit die vliegtuig verwyder en twintig meter van die wrak dra-sleep om vas te stel of hy ernstige beserings opgedoen het.

Hulle het dit gedoen omdat die wrak sterk na brandstof begin ruik het en hulle gevrees het dat dit aan die brand sou slaan.

Nadat die lede die vliegtuig met toue op die toneel geanker het om te keer dat dit deur stormsterk winde meegesleur word, moes hulle sowat 'n kilometer ver saam met Chorosz deur die moerasse sukkel tot by die basis van die Suid-Afrikaanse weerstasie. Dit is waar hulle navorsing doen.

Chorosz wou tot dusver nie met die media oor sy noue ontkoming praat nie.

Volgens mnr. Henry Valentine, die departement van omgewingsake se direkteur vir Antarktika en omliggende eilande, het die personeel op die eiland Saterdagoggend skuins voor vier 'n boodskap ontvang dat hy in die moeilikheid is en op die eiland wil land. Daar is geen landingstrook op dié bergagtige stuk grond nie.

Die Silwermyn-lugmagbasis in Kaapstad is omstreeks 04:15 van die noodtoestand in kennis gestel. Die mense op die eiland het dadelik ingespring om 'n geskikte landingsplek vir die vliegtuig te soek.

Hulle het toe met brandende fakkels by die plek gestaan waar hy moes land. Hy het uiteindelik om tien voor agt geland.

Die eerste geleentheid wat Chorosz volgens Valentine het om van die eiland terug te kom, is wanneer die poolskip SA Agulhas in Februarie die eiland aandoen.

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Thanks gunship.

The highlighting was enough!!!

Cheers!

[Gunship]

Comp Stall, Sorry yes ran out of time yesterday that's why I just highlighted the Aircraft type.

The story goes about the fact (in short - going fishing for the day) about the fact that SA's weather station on MArion Island got the news that he wanted to attempt an emergency landing there. So these weatherman got a swampy area which was the only flat piece of landing strip and light it up with firecandles (Fakkels). He landed in the deep swamp at 8 eventually where they whisked the un-injured Frenchman quickly away as the fuel leaked heavilly out of the wreck.

The Glasair is a six metre long aircraft with a wing span of 5 metres and ended up on it's back. It was tied down (for what it is worth) due to the strong winds on the island.

Cheers,