BE55 Wheels-up
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Location: Southern Africa
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BE55 Wheels-up
Baron operated by Proflight Air services Zambia did a wheels-up last week in the lower Zambezi National Park, Jeki airstrip.
A/C reg: 9J-MJS
POB: 1 CREW, nil pax
a/c: write off, +- 18000 hrs airframe, ex BA trainer.
No injuries.
A/C reg: 9J-MJS
POB: 1 CREW, nil pax
a/c: write off, +- 18000 hrs airframe, ex BA trainer.
No injuries.
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Scotland
Age: 53
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Yes, 9J is Zambian.
I flew this a/c a few years ago, so I'm sorry to hear about this, although it was about time the old lady retired.
Glad to hear that there were no injuries.
Zambia has had its fair share of incidents and accidents over the last 24 months. I have my own opinion as to why this is, but I think its best left unsaid.
Cheers
JF
I flew this a/c a few years ago, so I'm sorry to hear about this, although it was about time the old lady retired.
Glad to hear that there were no injuries.
Zambia has had its fair share of incidents and accidents over the last 24 months. I have my own opinion as to why this is, but I think its best left unsaid.
Cheers
JF
Join Date: May 2000
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9J-MJS was a 1968ish BE55 Baron and was formerly owned by BA at Hamble, UK registration G-AWAE. She was old but great to fly, certainly looked after me for many hundreds of hours even after a 50 minute, 6 up stretch following an engine failure, hitting an impala landing at Lukuzi, several manual extensions of the gear following electric motor failure (boy, how the knuckles bleed) and more. Taken me to Zimbabwe, Malawi, Tanzania, South Africa, DR Congo etc over 8 years of flying her. Sad for this to happen, but like JockFlyer said, she was getting a little long in the tooth (18000hrs plus) and at least there were no fatalities.
Anyone know why the gear up happened? Pure forgetfulness I guess?
Yep, a real shame.
NP.
Anyone know why the gear up happened? Pure forgetfulness I guess?
Yep, a real shame.
NP.
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Rumour has it that the pilot landed at Jeki without any gear problem but the flaps wouldn't retract after landing, he then said to his pax that he want's to do a test flight before returning to Lusaka and they must stay on the ground.
He fired up and did a circuit at Jeki trying to retract the flaps which still would not, he came around for landing and off course the ''unthinkable'' happened.....
draw your own conclusions.
He fired up and did a circuit at Jeki trying to retract the flaps which still would not, he came around for landing and off course the ''unthinkable'' happened.....
draw your own conclusions.
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Mmmmmm,
Just thinking out loud here, but what did he expect to happen to the flaps on the flight test, that wouldn't happen on the ground? Perhaps he hoped the air pressure would help to force them up?
Take off with 2 stages(short field landing config) of flaps isn't advised on the Baron, as you will be airbourne before VMCA.
However, if you decided that you were going to get airbourne, wouldn't it have been better to return to lusaka where there would be emergency services and maintenance, and he could have arranged another a/c to pick up the pax?
Hindsight is great for looking at these things, but aren't they a little obvious?
Anyway, that's enough of me being a skygod.
Sermon over, Cheers
JF
Bravo190, where have all the pigeons gone???
Just thinking out loud here, but what did he expect to happen to the flaps on the flight test, that wouldn't happen on the ground? Perhaps he hoped the air pressure would help to force them up?
Take off with 2 stages(short field landing config) of flaps isn't advised on the Baron, as you will be airbourne before VMCA.
However, if you decided that you were going to get airbourne, wouldn't it have been better to return to lusaka where there would be emergency services and maintenance, and he could have arranged another a/c to pick up the pax?
Hindsight is great for looking at these things, but aren't they a little obvious?
Anyway, that's enough of me being a skygod.
Sermon over, Cheers
JF
Bravo190, where have all the pigeons gone???
Last edited by Jockflyer; 29th Oct 2004 at 11:59.
