View Full Version : Cherokee down in NZ
Launchpad McQuack
16th Jan 2008, 12:52
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4359308a10.html
Unfortunate news. Does anybody know if it was one of the Wigram machines or from Christchurch?
I note the media doesn't appear to have too many details at this stage, so I'll not ask anymore questions until they've spun their tales.
Please lets not degrade the thread by offering 'theories' as to the cause, just wait for the official stuff. My thoughts and condolences to their families, friends & colleagues...
LP
NZScion
16th Jan 2008, 14:46
3 News have it on their website. Canterbury Aero Club (IAANZ) from Christchurch airport. Looks to me like either an Archer or Warrior from the picture. Looks like it got burnt out pretty bad. My condolences to the families... Never a happy time when anything goes down...
Link to Picture & Article (http://www.tv3.co.nz/News/NationalNews/Twodeadafterlightplanecrash/tabid/423/articleID/43617/cat/65/Default.aspx)
Launchpad McQuack
16th Jan 2008, 16:11
Agreed, Archer or Warrior...not a pleasant pic to look at, nearly the entire fuselage in ashes.
Ahh yes, another piece of quality journalism from the Stuff.co.nz team - cut & paste from another site then add the title;
pilots die in fiery Canterbury crash
Can't resist, can they? :ugh:
LP
alexthepilot
16th Jan 2008, 19:57
this is so unfortunate, thoughts are with friends and families. I trained at the Canterburry Aero Club and have flown that aircraft, it is a Piper Archer reg is ZK - LJB. :(
Crosshair
16th Jan 2008, 20:03
A terrible thing.
How is it that the fuselage seems to have burned completely, but the wings seem to be more or less intact? I would have thought that fuselage was relatively non-flammable.
kiwi chick
16th Jan 2008, 20:14
It is terrible.
And I think (this may come out sounding wrong but you will know what I mean) that this should be a lesson to us all, to never get complacent.
I'm not implying anything at all about what may or may not have happened - I'm just saying that WE should not get complacent so that we don't end up being discussed on a thread such as this.
KC
kongdong
16th Jan 2008, 20:35
I too trained at the Academy and have flown that A/C. A terrible thing to happen to those two poor blokes.
Kiwiguy
16th Jan 2008, 21:07
Search and Rescue have said that the aircraft was about 15-20km off it's expected track.
LJB was one of the best archers they had in the aero club comparing it to their other aircrafts and it was the best machine to go with it X country, i feel so sorry for what happened and give my condolence to the two pilots family.
kiwi chick
17th Jan 2008, 02:02
I think you mean to their families. :(
I don't think 15-20km is much to speculate about do you? They may have just decided to take a different ridge or follow a different river.
Voidhawk9
17th Jan 2008, 03:19
As another past IAANZ graduate, I am also particularly saddened by this. :(
And somewhat surprised to see the fuselage burned out like that. :confused:
15 - 20km is not something worth discussing, just the route they took. Rare to go direct.
Capt Wally
17th Jan 2008, 04:00
............terrible terrible, this sort of thing affects us all sadly. It hurts me everytime I see an accident resulting in the death of an adventurer.
As for the burnt out fuse only & not that of the main wings this is sometimes common in some accident sequences. I'm not speculating here at all just mentioning as someone asked why just the fuse destroyed by fire? The fuse has more flamable materials in it, (yes I know fuel is highly flammable but not so much when it's still in it's liquid state) interior fittings, personal effects such as paperwork clothing etc. The wings would have just 'supplied' the fuel to the fire from say the ruptured fuel lines leading into the fuse to feed an already established fire started from perhaps the battery for Eg. Hopefully the investigators will get to the bottom of it so we can put to rest our worst fears, a one in a million chance of a fault with the design!
You live life to the fullest I've found when flying, for that we pay a premium sometimes. RIP my fellow aviators, we don't forget, for you have made us stronger in the knowledge that nothing stops us from being free !!
CW
My condolences to the families, friends and not forgetting the staff and instructors at CAC.
Knox