Fears for missing aircraft in Far North Queensland

[Cool banana]

August 17, 2007 12:20pm www.couriermail.com.au

RESCUERS are stepping up an air-sea rescue operation for a light plane and its pilot missing in far north Queensland since yesterday.
The male pilot was due to land his single engine fixed-wing turbo prop in Tully at 4pm (AEST) yesterday, one hour after taking off from Ingham, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said today.
AMSA spokeswoman Tracey Jiggins said the pilot had taken off in bad weather.
"Due to inclement weather and heavy cloud cover, it is anticipated that the pilot would have either tracked between Halifax on the eastern side of Hinchinbrook Island or via the Cardwell Channel following the road to reach Tully," she said.
Three helicopters are searching between Ingham and Tully while police carry out ground searches.
Two boats are also combing Hinchinbrook Island for any signs of the plane.
Another three fixed-wing aircraft are expected to join the search later today.
The aircraft is described as an eight-seater Fletcher, white in colour with two blue horizontal stripes along the fuselage.
Anyone with information should contact AMSA's rescue coordination centre on 1800 815 257.

[the wizard of auz]

Gee, sounds like the PAC 750XL demo.

[Fail passive]

Sounds like PAC06-800 Cresco used for parachute drops in that area. VH-XMN.

Hope all turns out well.

[BackdoorBandit]

What it most probably is, is the white Skydive Cairns Cresco VH-XMN

[toolowtoofast]

Gee, sounds like the PAC 750XL demo

i'm pretty sure that's JQE - and i'm pretty sure that was parked outside PAC today.

[the wizard of auz]

yes, JQE was the one I was thinking of...... when I flew it, it was wearing the blue and white colors. I thought it was still here.

[Unhinged]

It's the white cresco.

Please come home safe. Just be parked in a bloody cane field somewhere ... I don't want to lose another great character like you ... :sad:

[Lefthanded_Rock_Thrower]

This is its green brother.
http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n229/Joshuacox_2006/IMG_1393.jpg
Hope all are found OK, they are fully equipped for IFR.

If flying from Ingham to Tully, it must be coming out of maintenance.

[engineer1]

Mate, it is the white Cresco, VH-XMN, no word on any findings, just know it has disappearred, i'm hoping its parked in another cane field somewhere, pilot was a good man, he shoulda stayed here

[engineer1]

that was VH-XMN, 100% sure, it had been in for maintenance, unscheduled. The maintenance performed was on the nose gear, nothing pertaining to flight. Weather was bad, pilot may have felt commercial pressure. Hope the Hungarian is Ok, He's a good man

[engineer1]

VH-XMN is missing, a good example of non-pilots making calls they know nothing about

[tinpis]

Hope everybody is ok

I know you could land a Fletcher in the top of a rainforest and as long as the bloody thing didnt fall down on top of you as you climbed out you would be right as rain.

[Fail passive]

Yeah, equipped for IFR, decent GPS (colour moving map)...however, Tully has no navaids whatsoever to navigate to and I doubt many pilots flying the cresco for parachute drops do carry any IFR plates for Ingham or Innisfail. Has been confirmed its XMN and that dutch guy is a top bloke...hopefully sheltering in the cresco on a field somewhere.

[Lefthanded_Rock_Thrower]

Hi Engineer,
Just to clarify, i was not for a second suggesting anything negative regarding the maintenance organisation at Ingham, infact, as a pilot i found them to be excellent engineers, even browny :).

[Unhinged]

Found. Not good. Bugger :{:{:{

RIP good buddy. Forever flying ...

Huge thanks to everyone who helped search.

[equal]

very sad news indeed.

http://www2.skynews.com.au/news/article.aspx?id=184950

[ForkTailedDrKiller]

Any details of where it was found? Indications of what might have happened?

Can be a very treacherous place to fly VFR. I flew down the Hinchinbrook Channel at 500' a week or so ago in very poor weather. The terrain alert in the GNS430 was going ga-ga.

Dr :cool:

[Unhinged]

Lots of talk going on, of course, but at the moment facts only if that's ok.

Found near Murray Falls, so north of the Channel. Just to the left of the highway. The terrain rises pretty steeply on that side of the road. There'd been a fire, and was about a 40 m fire gash in the vegetation. The weather has been well described already.

So close to home ...

[beaver_rotate]

Rest in peace mate! You were a gentleman... :{:{

[Mr snuffaluffagus]

Very sad news. One of the gentlemen of the skies. RIP.

[LUCKY-1]

Notams are showing ATSB to have an exclusion zone 13 nm Sth of Tully, 0.5 nm radius. Respect for those concerned.

[equal]

very sad news. RIP.

[Fail passive]

Very sad indeed. Great guy. RIP.

[maxspeed]

Shame it took two days to find, but after finding it I can say it would not have mattered. It was in hard no chance. Had to have being in cloud.fearwell to a top bloke.

[ForkTailedDrKiller]

"Had to have been in cloud"

and lost!

Hard to imagine anyone would knowingly be west of the road/railway line tracking Cardwell to Tully in bad weather.

Why do such accidents continue to occur?

Dr :cool:

[George_of_the_Bungle]

RIP and thoughts with the family and loved ones of the pilot. I happened to be flying VFR from YBTL to YBCS that same afternoon....:uhoh:Departed TL @ around 1530 so would have been passing by Ingham roughly the same time that XMN departed. Flew around Hinchinbrook not above 1000'.....def. didn't like my chances of flying through the channel...

[excellr8]

I'm sure I speak for many a skydive pilot that flew with Tiby in either Toogoolawah,Caloundra or up North in that he was a very professional guy to work with, indeed he was one of a very few skydivers who could actually read the GPS!!!!!!! That was before he got his pilots licence. Outside of work he was the kindest most honest person you could ever have the privilege of knowing. Rest in peace mate, there will be many that will have a Bourbon for you.....

[flylittlebirdie]

Goodbye Tiby. from the first moment i met you, you were a good friend.

[mase]

See ya mate. It's been awhile since I've been in your circles. One of the greatest tandem masters I could have beside me as a pilot when in the game. You always took me at face value and entrusted me with what I said. RIP and Blue Skies

[Victim Air]

R.I.P Tiby.....We'll miss mate.

[777Monkey]

RIP Tiby, it was a pleasure to have met you and had the chance to pass on some flying tips to you back in toogoolawah as well as up in tully.

A true gentleman who did not deserve:{ this.....my thoughts are with his loved ones and family.

[I spy]

RIP mate. Tiby filmed my 14,000ft tandem jump a while ago in Cairns. His enthusiasm was infectious and he was just a joy to be around. How ironic - I was showing that skydiving dvd to a friend of mine just yesterday.:sad:

[mechchick]

Thanks for the jumps at Toogoolawah Tibi, you were a great bloke, you will be missed by many jumpers and aircrew alike I am sure. :(

[Unhinged]

Tibi's funeral will be held tomorrow 28th August, 3 pm at The Church of Christ, Greenslopes St, Edge Hill, Cairns.

There will also be "a celebration of Tibi's life" :-) afterwards at Calypso, 5 Digger St, Cairns

Everyone is most welcome to attend either or both

[Defenestrator]

I just saw this on another thread and was wondering if Tibor is the same guy that operated out of Caloundra and around the Sunshine Coast for many years?

Sincerest Condolences

D

[Unhinged]

Link to an excellent webpage with lots of Tibi stuff:

http://web.mac.com/oceanbluesky/Tibor_Nagy/Tibor_Nagy.html

[Unhinged]

No hint of mechanical woes in fatal Tully plane crash: report - ABC News (http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/02/03/2481231.htm)
"The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has released its final report into a fatal plane crush near Tully in far north Queensland."


The ATSB report is here ... 200705096 (http://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/2007/AAIR/aair200705096.aspx)