Plane down, pilot missing on Sydney's Northern Beaches

[Transition Layer]

Light plane crashes in Sydney (abc.net.au)

A light plane has crashed into a cliff while performing acrobatics over Sydney's northern beaches.

Police say they have received reports the aircraft went down near Warriewood Beach or Narrabeen Beach.

It is not known how many people were on board.

Martin Webby from Narrabeen says he witnessed the crash about 12:30pm AEST.

"It was doing a few loop-the-loops ... and then it was so low doing the loop-the-loop or whatever it was doing, doing its acrobatics," Mr Webby said.

"I thought, 'that's strange' and then I thought it must just be a radio-controlled plane.

"And then I thought, 'I'll go and have a closer look', and by the time when we got closer to where it crashed I just noticed that it made a really low pass and then it hit the cliff it was so low."

Emergency service vehicles have arrived in the area.

Bit of an update....


Light plane crashes in Sydney

A vintage World War II plane has crashed while performing acrobatics off Warriewood Beach in Sydney\'s north.

Police say unconfirmed reports indicate there was one person on board.

There are conflicting accounts about whether the plane crashed into a cliff or into the ocean.

[Vetical Limit]

Heres a bit more...


Fears for missing pilot
From: AAP
August 27, 2005

A PILOT is missing after his light plane crashed on Sydney's northern beaches while performing acrobatics over the ocean.

The single-engine aerobatic plane was executing manoeuvres about 300 metres off Turimetta Beach, between Warriewood and Narrabeen, about 12.30pm (AEST) today when it plunged into the water, police said.
Water police located the wreckage of the plane but were unable to find the pilot.

Emergency services and divers are conducting an extensive search of the area, police said.

[propwash85]

Just heard on the news that an aerobatic plane has gone down this afternoon in the water on Sydney's northern beaches. Plane has been found but no sign of pilot....hope all is well.

propwash85.

[Ultralights]

A pilot is missing after he crashed off Sydney's northern beaches while performing stunts in a vintage aircraft.

The ocean between between Warriewood and Narrabeen is being scoured for any trace of the man who failed to surface after the plane plunged into the water about 12.30pm today, a Westpac Helicopter spokesman said.

Shocked onlookers told emergency services the single-engined aircraft, believed to be of WWII vintage, was executing aerobatic manoeuvres about 300 metres off Turimetta Beach when the pilot lost control.

The make was not known, and only a small amount of debris was left floating.

"It is believed the plane had just finished doing some aerial stunts - loop the loop' over Mona Vale Beach - when it lost control," the spokesman said.

"It was heading south and crashed whilst performing a barrel roll. It entered the water upside down."

Water police who located the wreckage were unable to find the pilot, he said.

It understood emergency services and divers are conducting an extensive search of the area for the body of the man.

[The Chef]

From news.com.au

"THE body of a 54-year-old pilot who crashed off Sydney's northern beaches while performing aerobatics in a vintage plane has been found by police divers.

The single-engine plane, believed to be of WWII vintage, plunged into the water about 300 metres off Turimetta Beach, between Warriewood and Narrabeen, about 12.30pm (AEST) today.
"It is believed the plane had just finished doing some aerial stunts - loop-the-loop over Mona Vale Beach - when it lost control," a Westpac Helicopter spokesman said.

"It was heading south and crashed whilst performing a barrel roll. It entered the water upside down."

Divers found the body of the Birchgrove man about three-and-a-half hours later, 70 metres north of where witnesses reported seeing the plane go down, police said.

Salvage teams have recovered the plane's fuselage and a report is being prepared for the coroner."



Condolences to family and friends of the pilot.

The Chef

[Ultralights]

from the pics on the news, the wreckage looked like a local harvard from Hoxton park

[jfrat]

The aircraft involved in the crash was a Nanchang. I was out at BK today and watched it take off.

Tragic news to hear that it crashed, many condolences to the family and all friends involved.

JFrat

[Disguise Delimit]

Onlookers, as usual, gave varied reports.

"He did a loop, and instead of pulling up, he just continued at 45 degrees into the water."

"He did a loop, pulled up, and then just fell back down."

A real shock for his friends gathered on a nearby cliff to watch the show. The airspace there under the control step only goes up to 2500' which doesn't leave much of a buffer.

[Fiesty Ferret]

Any idea on who was flying it? Was it a private flight or from an adventure flight company?

Thanks
FF

[R555C]

My condolances to family and friends of the pilot of a CJ-6A who lost his life today off Nneys northern Baches. A tradjic accident with people looking on, and seeing the whole sequence. My wife and I give our condolances and best wishes for the future to all involved

GW

I beleive it was a private flight.
Condolances to family and friends.

[TheStormyPetrel]

An aerobatic plane crashed into the surf off Sydney's northern beaches yesterday afternoon, killing the pilot in front of his horrified loved ones.

The man's friends and family had gathered to watch him performing stunts off the Narrabeen Head Aquatic Reserve.

But their day turned to grief when the single engine plane - a Nanchang, modelled on a 1950s Chinese Air Force plane - crashed into water 300 metres off Turimetta Beach.

The body of the pilot, Damien Colbert, 54, of Birchgrove, was recovered 75 metres away from the wreckage three hours later.

Mr Colbert, a businessman believed to be an importer of whitegoods, bought the plane - worth about $200,000 - several weeks ago. He was well known in the flying community and believed to have owned a beach house in Narrabeen. He lived in a historic home in Lousia Road in Birchgrove, which he bought for $1.26 million in 1994.

Friend Mark Donohoe, who taught Mr Colbert to fly helicopters at Bankstown Airport four years ago, said he had a small fleet of aircraft.

"He was an aviation nut," Mr Donohoe said. "He was the sort of guy that you didn't expect to have an accident. He was a happy-go-lucky guy and everyone liked him."

Hours after the crash, aviation bulletin were flooded with messages and tributes. One message said: "I am numb."

Eyewitness Joan Cowper said she heard a thud, looked up and, from her kitchen window, saw the plane crash.

"It made a big noise," she said. "I had the binoculars [on] from when it hit the water and nobody came up."

Mrs Cowper said it was not unusual to see planes performing aerobatics along the coastline during the weekends.

Michelle Stevenson, who heard a bang as the plane hit the water, said: "It was too loud for a wave. When I turned around it was like it [the surf] just folded up over the plane. It sank like a stone."

Inspector David Walton, of the Northern Beaches Local Area Command, said the plane banked to the right and attempted an inverted loop and pulled upright but appeared to lose control and crashed into 7.5 metres of water.

Sydney Northern Beaches Surf Life Saving deployed two jet skis and two rescue boats while the Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter hovered over the wreckage. Two police boats were also at the scene, helping to locate Mr Colbert's body.

Crowds of onlookers gathered on the headland to watch as the drama unfolded.

A witness said: "I knew he was not going to make it from when he went into it [the roll]. It was like a big thud and bang.

"I heard him and turned around and saw him do a 180 and turn upside down and thought he's not going to finish the loop - he's too low. In a matter of 10 seconds, the whole plane had disappeared. I just saw the wing go down."

Another witness said the plane "sank like a stone".

A spokesman for the Civil Aviation Safety Bureau said it would be up to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau to determine if there should be an investigation into the causes of the crash. "But if it was a private plane then there might not be any action taken."

A spokesman for the ATSB said: "It's possible we will investigate the cause."

The Sun Herald (http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/stunt-pilot-killed-as-his-family-and-friends-watch/2005/08/27/1124563063414.html)

Such a shame. Condolences to the family.

[AerocatS2A]

Inspector David Walton, of the Northern Beaches Local Area Command, said the plane banked to the right and attempted an inverted loop and pulled upright but appeared to lose control and crashed into 7.5 metres of water.

A witness said: "I knew he was not going to make it from when he went into it [the roll]. It was like a big thud and bang.

"I heard him and turned around and saw him do a 180 and turn upside down and thought he's not going to finish the loop - he's too low. In a matter of 10 seconds, the whole plane had disappeared. I just saw the wing go down."

These quotes suggest that he was doing a half roll and "pull through". I have been unfortunate enough to witness someone else kill themselves in the exact same manner. Aerobatics, particularly at low level, demands respect, the consequences of any lack of respect are extreme!

[DYNAMIC STALL]

Aeroscat

I would throw another theory into the melting pot. A normal loop, but a bit low. Pull back too hard on the stick and ....

dynamic stall

I did it once by accident in a Decat, very scary until you work out what happened. I had a spare 4000'

Condolances...

[kookabat]

VH-NNV was the aircraft involved I believe.

[Adamastor]

NNX. Rest in Peace, Damien.

[AerocatS2A]

Dynamic Stall, yes, either way, same result.

[F/O Bloggs]

It is a tragedy when any life is lost, no matter what the circumstances. Not withstanding, it would appear the gentleman was doing low levels aeros. If he was not endorsed to do so, and was just doing a beat up then let this be a lesson to others on how little margin for error there can be when throwing machinery around close to the ground.

RIP.
:(

[kookabat]

NNX.

Oops. My apologies. Thanks for the correction/...

[Angels Three Five]

Bloggs

You are correct with that statement . Conducting aeros at recovering by 3000ft compaired to a low level waivier where recovering by 500ft is a total different picture, those waivers are not easy to get.

[radman]

condolences to the family and friends

but sounds fishy , low level off the northern beaches with a LL2500 control step above him so he either had a clearence or he was squeezing in between 500 and 2500.

with out being signed off for low level and a clearnce should have been above 3000. :ugh:

[Horatio Leafblower]

Perhaps the tide came in?:{

[flopter]

...well at the height he was legally operating in, the pilot may have been quite safely carrying out a high angle "wingover" turn (nothing illegal about that and why assume otherwise) and perhaps something old broke....we'll have to wait and see.

imo it's easy for laymen to describe anything unusual they see as "aerobatics" when the maneuver rates as perhaps nothing more than a high angle bank turn with a little dive for effect...

some people should stick to straight and level flight.... anything else is sure to shock them no matter how menial -

but what would it be without the self officiating "Safety experts" around here.. :E

[F/O Bloggs]

Hey Floppy

"...well at the height he was legally operating in, the pilot may have been quite safely carrying out a high angle "wingover" turn (nothing illegal about that and why assume otherwise)"

Actually your description is one of an aerobatic maneouvre.

According to CASA the definition of an aerobatic maneouvre is-

Bank angles > 60 deg
Pitch angles > 45 deg or
Abrupt changes of direction, angles of bank, angles of pitch,or speed.

"High angle Wingover turn" = Aerobatics and shouldn't be performed below 3000' AO.


'LOOP NOW!'

'PULL HARDER BLOGGS!':

[flopter]

thanks for stating the obvious F/O. :rolleyes:

Think... when witnessed from the ground the parameters you so eagerly repeat may well have been overestimated by an unfortunate blend of angle and perception as seen by untrained observers .... hence my point.

Call me non sensationalist but I'd be more inclined to accept that a competant pilot who is flying and performing what would need to be a logically simple sequence at that height, did so in the best interests of his and the public safety. ( i.e over the ocean etc)

At this point it doesn't seem he intended anything "risky" or unknown by the simple fact he didn't have the height to do so.

What happened despite those efforts, is tragic.

[radman]

from night time news observers on the ground watched him execute barrel rolls and loops ,

[F/O Bloggs]

Hey Flopster,

Some people need the bleeding obvious pointed out to them don't they now.

...."performing what would need to be a logically simple sequence at that height, did so in the best interests of his and the public safety. ( i.e over the ocean etc)".......

A loop is a very simple sequence. What bollocks to suggest that he did it in the interest of his safety by doing it over the ocean.
If he did it at low level that nice soft water is just like concrete when you smack into it. If he did it at over 3000' over the ocean then I would agree with you.

I am inclined to believe that he was doing aeros at low level, and that it was G Loc, or G stall, or energy mismanagement that lead to the accident rather than a mechanical failure during benign flight.



"BALANCE BLOGGS"

[radman]

they also mentioned in the news that he was performing in front of his home, friends and family , how sad:ugh:

[hadagutful]

Let's don't quibble over exactly what he might have been doing and wouldn't have mattered whether it was over ocean or terra firma, I would suggest possibly a lethal combination of:

1. inexperienced on a/c type (only recently purchased)
2. somewhat inexperienced undertaking aerobatics and in that aircraft
3. possible showman factor, i.e. "hey look what I can do" in front of friends, family etc. which makes it even more tragic.

Other possible factors which may come out in the investigation, post mortem, aircraft inspection etc. which none of us can pre-empt.

A sad loss during an unforgiving activity.

[Cobra]

"...Other possible factors which may come out in the investigation,..."hadagutful

Who's doing the investigation? Police? Coroner? certainly not ATSB!

[Mere Mortal]

What are the 2 most dangerous words in aviation?
"Watch this"
Like beat ups, these sort of accidents usually happen because the whole routine is done ad hoc and unplanned. So "hold my beer and watch this!"
MM

[Mainframe]

Mere Mortal.

You are spot on.

"Watch This" is always done in front of an audience, never away from one.

And it often ends in tears, or blood or both.

At age 50+, testosterone doesn't appear to be one of "the usual suspects", or was it?

The ATSB and the Coroner will eventuall try to give us the answers.

[Ultralights]

funny thing is, on the front page of the POH for the cri cri is the warning!

"due to its small size, this aircraft is sometimes considered a toy..IT IS NOT... it is no different to most light single engines aircraft..
and the major cause of death flying this aircraft is the urge to demonstrate your flying and aerobatic skill at low level.. to spectators.

[hadagutful]

Cobra, you're right re the possible ATSB investigation or lack of in this case.
Checked with them today and this accident although fatal falls under the "sports" category and won't therefore be the subject of an ATSB enquiry.

Change of policy now sees only certain accidents investigated by ATSB (air) depending on a number of criteria. All boils down to cost/benefit no doubt.

Bit of a shame but I guess in this case we can all draw our own conclusions given the information available.