Originally Posted by
FAR CU
zzuf - we were probably hoeing into one of Carmel's great hamburgers at the time. VH-HTS, the C185, used to be with Wilderness Air at Strahan in Tasmania. The principal there was one KP. I christened him Captain Sudden as he sometimes threw his seaplanes around like a dodgem car driver. When he was asked if HTS stood for anything in particular, he point to the battery and jumper leads in the luggage compartment and said -
"Gees yeah . . .. HARD TO START."
The wreckage of HTS at Berowra was notable in that the scatter was closely confined, pointing right off to a stall/ spin being the end result, but really not the prime cause at all. (There were many
other earlier factors that in hindsight pointed to a calamity in the making.)
It has to be said that it had no maintenance problems. The aircraft under went a extreme service piour to the accident. It was over heard by poeple recovering the aircraft that a basi person said it was the best maintained sea plane that they had seen.
The accident was purly pilot error.
They did find one commercial bolt in the accident. However this was proven to be installed by the operator post service.
The main difference between these two accidents at this stage is the weather.
Just two extremely sad endings to what should have been a happy occasion.
Thoughts to all thoose envoled.