Aircraft crash in Norseman WA 1978

[compressor stall]

A work colleague attended the aftermath an aircraft accident near Norseman aerodrome back in about 1978 (plus or minus a year or two). Apparently 5 local lads were killed shortly after take off from YNSM.

Naturally the accident devastated town.

She moved on before the investigation was completed and is cusious to know what occurred. ATSB reports don't go that far back, and I don't have the crash comics from that era.

Can anyone advise where to find info on the accident?

Cheers

CS :ok:

[CurtissJenny]

Aircraft type ? Brief details of the event if known ?

[compressor stall]

That's all I got to go on.

Person is a non pilot - after 2 years would be hard pressed to remember if an aeroplane had one or two engines, let alone after 25 years.

In any case, 6 people perishing in an aircraft accident in a small remote place in Aus should stand out.

CS

[poteroo]

Norseman Accident 1978

It was a C55 or A55 Baron on charter from Perth or Jandakot.

Accident happened at night - about 8-9pm, or maybe even 11-12, I think. I think that the pilot had been waiting there patiently for some time, and was anxious to get off back to Perth.

Don't qoute me on this, but, I think the primary cause was failure to remove a control lock pin which had none of the usual wires and red PVC 'locks' over the engine power quadrant, ie, it was more or less a 2 inch hard to see stub thru the yoke.

Not the first time that an aircraft has headed off with a lock still in place, and some of the problem was that the pin had been highly modified, having no warning ribbons, guards etc. During the 60's, a flying instructor in Port Moresby actually got a 182 off the ground and flew a circuit with one of these 'locks' still in place. He was highly praised for his presence of mind in using the trim as primary - but had his ticket suspended 10 secs later!!

happy days

[compressor stall]

Thanks for that. :ok:

And I am glad your transponder is working fine now on Alt mode! Only too glad to help yesterday.

You do live in a nice part of the world there! Just had to take a look over town. ;)

CS

[poteroo]

CS,

It wasn't me in VNE yesterday. Loaned it to my hangar partner, so hope no problems occurred?

I was up at my training area in West Beverley doing some LL and T/W work in the 170, and then a BFR in a 180.

Can' fly them all at once!!

happy days,

[compressor stall]

Nah...no problems.

I was on the Arc for the ILS and he asked if I could verify his txpr was working. I replied I had a paint but no alt readout.

He then switched to Alt and I worked out that he should have been around 700' to which he said he was a touch under 800'. Good enough for me :ok:

CS

[Desert Duck]

CS
I can confirm RV6 VNE thoughts about the control locks, altho I recall it was the rudder lock only not removed
Pilot was a work mate

[compressor stall]

Thanks for that. Said person has been told teh details as posted here and that was enough to keep her happy. I also pointed out the big red A5 sized placard on our control lock so she knows we won't do it!

:8

Thanks to all.

CS

[Azimuth]

I have a pile of old crash comics given to me by my grandfather. The article you want is in "Aviation Safety Digest" issue 110 published in 1980.

If you want a photocopy PM me!:ok:

[farqueue]

I remember the AC from JT. The control lock was a 3" odd steel pin with a loop in one end that used to have the cable going to the rudder lock gizmo. When I saw it last it had about 1" of red ribon left, and that includes the length in the knot!

What I was told yesterday by someone eho knew the pilot was that he was delayed by the pax and had to fly another charter next morning. He took off in the dark with the lock still in and it rolled inverted and went in.

Not sure if that AC had its back broken a few years earlier, or if it was the other Barron that they operated. I was in Esperance I think when it happened.

[Woomera]

If my cranky memory serves me still, the "original" factory supplied gizmo also had a device attached to the control lock that was put over the throttles as well.
The original intention being that it prevented starting the engines with the lock in.

Conduct a review of the system currently being used on your aircraft and find out if it is original, a non standard local "invention" or "make do" and if it provides an active defense against its improper or innapropriate use.

Some may be life threatening, as above, others may be just inconvenient, like Pitot covers left on, others just plain expensive, like non standard turbine engine inlet bungs left in.

For example, in the turbine example above the standard bung is attached to the propeller in such a way that it's rotation pulls the bung out and throws it clear should it somehow be left in.
The standard bung had been left behind at the last stop, a temporary bung was made out of a dollars worth of low density foam for short term protection from a dusty gritty wind.

You would not believe the mess it made of the engine nor the cost when it was ingested during the start. :ugh: :sad:

[Richo]

Not intending to hijack your thread stallie, but

this message needs to be understood by any body flying an aircraft with multi part control locks.

If the chain that connects the bits togeter is broken then the contol lock is U/S and DON'T use it.

I will say it again, DON'T USE IT.

Remove it from the aircraft and Get it fixed, don't wait for someone else to do it, take it to an engineer and get it done immediatley. If they say its not important, tell them it is (wally)and it must be done immediatley.

Pilots and passengers have been killed by this simple thing, don't underestimate its importance.

Richo

[Torres]

There was a similar accident involving a Talair Beech Baron at Goroka in 1969.

The pilot, (I.O.) departed early morning with the control lock in place. Aircraft stalled and landed on it's back. From memory all 5 POB (on an Apex Club charter?) were killed.

G'Day Richo! :ok:

[Animalclub]

Torres

Wasn't that a trading company charter (Beeps or Steamies)... or was that later?

[Woomera]

Richo

Amen to that in spades.:cool:

[the wizard of auz]

hey CS, in case you were wondering, it was me trying to say G.day as you were departing to Albany from YESP the other day. would have had another go at it, but you sounded busy diverting around the snot. it didn't get any better out at cockels.......... for about four days actually.

[farqueue]

Woomera, I've seen several types of control locks on Barron. One was a long steel rod that locked the colum and went over the throttle with a red metal flag. No way you could not notice! Another used a squeeze together spring loaded lock between the rudderpedals, plus a cable linking it to the top wheel lock. The Barron I remember had the second type, with the cable long gone and the top lock almost invisible. The rudder locks are hard to see as well, except for the wire cable. Horrid things!!

[Woomera]

farqueue

That's them, all should harken unto the esteemed Richo's advice in regard to all types of locks and flags.