Two planes fly into power lines in Qld

[Desert Flower]

From the Adelaide Advertiser:

TWO crop duster planes have flown into power lines in separate incidents in Queensland.

One brought down high voltage powerlines on a property near Koumala, south of Sarina, in north Queensland at 8.30am (AEST) on Tuesday.

Another crop duster clipped a powerline as it flew under it, cutting power to about 100 customers in the Burdekin.

There were no injuries and both incidents are being investigated by the Electrical Safety Office.

DF.

[VH-XXX]

Just a standard day in the life of a croppie ;) Perhaps they should fit wire strike kits on all aircraft....

[ForkTailedDrKiller]

Gazumped again XXX - your losing it mate! :E

[OZ-G10]

Whilst you sound like you know a lot about the day to day life of an Ag pilot I can assure you X wire strikes are not in an Ag pilots standard day,and wire cutters and deflectors are on all Ag aircraft. Perhaps you should try and get a ride in the back seat of one for some education.

[VH-XXX]

;) = sarcasm my friend.

As long as the back seat is not the hopper then I'm in :cool:

PS: when I said fit wire kits to all aircraft I was actually jokingly thinking non-crop dusting aircraft like your average Cessna as there's been a fair number go in due to wires.

Sorry Dr, I've been too busy working on my new acquisition to report on the crash stats.

[HarleyD]

I am glad to hear that no one hurt, and i hope not too much damaged paint. OZ G10 correct, not a day to day occurance, but certainly one that can roon your whole day if you cop one bad.

The larger size (mass) and higher dispersal speed of modern ag aircraft provide higher energy levels that make cable cutting or breaking more straightforward. Smaller and or slower types do not usually come off well from wire strikes, especially longer spans where stronger cables are used and they act as arrestor cables, literally dragging an aircraft out of the sky. Smaller types are perhaps less likely to hit cables, i.e.the same cables, but consequences are worse. Some pilots are more tempted to fly under much lower wires in smaller aircraft, Even to thread the needle when not operationally neccessary. Larger types usually have heavier duty wire cutters and props as well.

Many ag pilots i knew polished the windscreen always in vertical motion so that wires could not hide in any polishing marks or streaks, especially when flying into sun early morning, or near sunset.

Sounds like all is ok in this instance.:) ...these instances.

HD

[Ocean Person]

Harley D;

You have taught me something. As an Ag pilot (Australia) I never thought of polishing my goggles with a vertical motion but to do so makes sense. I wonder what else I dont know!! Best.

O.P.

P.S. As an aside the Harley Davidson is not my favourite machine, prefer the Norton or AJS but Harleys do punch out a great sound.

[triathlon]

Your slipping XXX
Beaten to the punch again.

[VH-XXX]

A croppie told me that a long time ago when I was polishing with Mr Sheen on a windscreen on a Skyfox. Vertical only, never horizontal. Whilst I'd say I haven't come close to an unseen powerline yet, it has certainly helped me spot them on the odd occasion I believe.

[Capt Fathom]

XXX

If the power line was unseen, how do you know you never came close to one?

[OZ-G10]

Don't encourage him Capt.

[Killer Loop]

When I started my PPL they taught us to clean the windscreen with a vertical motion. I was told never use a circular or horizontal motions when rubbing the window surface. Remaining dirt will cause arbitary, round scratches, reducing vision and optical clarity when flying into the sun. Vertical patterns are less noticeable than horizontal ones.

[VH-XXX]

"Unseen" is when you don't see it out the windscreen and you see it flash past just under your undercarriage!

[kabukiman]

never done any ag flying, but fwiw I always cleaned the windscreen the same way I do a car, in circular motions.

Ideally you'd rinse the windscreen first and ensure you've got a clean cloth. That way you won't scratch it. The windscreens at my flying school don't get looked after very well however. Som are scratched up on the inside by kneeboards and headsets etc

[Wally Mk2]

Back in the 80's in another life when I was working in TW I knew of a few croppies who 'bought the farm' (lots of cotton) & I thought at the time shame someone hadn't invented a device that detects wires out ahead of an A/C & alerted the driver by way of a distinct audible alarm. Wires carry current which my be detectable so anyone heard of such equip?
SWER wires are everywhere out there, bloody dangerous occupation you guys have, yr a lot braver than I would ever be:-)


Wmk2

[601]

Vertical only, never horizontal.

Only way to do it.

[HarleyD]

XXX in ag work there are unseen and unknown wires, and other hazards, but worst is unremembered.

Many ag wire strikes are into wires that were briefed or indicated on work maps, but subsequently forgotten, or the immediate recall overwritten by another priority, real or percieved, or even distraction from another sensory input visual, audible or tactile. I hit a wire with my nose gear in a flitcher when topdressing. I knew it was there but had a higher issue ( i thought subconsciously) to deal with at the time due to being overloaded with a bridged load of supershosphate at the time and trying to outclimb rising terrain in a blind valley. All my attention was on clearing the ridgeline and the wire caught the gear just as i crested the hill in a nose high attitude. I didnt see it as it was out of my field of view, and not in my immediate thoughts at that moment. It was unseen and unremembered.

The reference i made to clean windscreen was more applicable when intentionally flying under wires where the relative motion of the wire can be very slow and losing sight of it amongst the confusion of horizontal scratches when fling into a low sun can be annoying.

HD

[Sunfish]

Learned something new.... Vertical polishing motion only!

Will do it from now on.

But what about vertical scratches hiding towers and guy wires?

[poteroo]

Right on with the windscreen cleaning. Use a small clean water sprayer to rinse off the grit - then chamois the screen vertically for the absolute minimum passes needed. Teach it to my ab initio students from the very 1st pre-flight.
Found it's also useful in seeing anything else with horizontal shape, eg cloud bases,
happy days,

[601]

But what about vertical scratches hiding towers and guy wires?

It is not the trees etc hiding in the scratches but the reflection of the sun of the horizontal scratches that can destroy forward vision.

Or so I was told by a Cessna Engineer at the Citation factory.

[Wally Mk2]

I tend to agree there '601' it's not so much the direction of the scratches themselves but the restricted view one gets with a distorted screen due refracting light caused by scratches amongst other things such as crazing.
Also any marks on a screen such as scratches can sometimes take yr focus away from anything further afield. How many times have you had a big splattered bug on yr car screen or plane screen for that matter & it's annoying 'cause it's right in yr line of normal sight/vision? It takes yr vision away albeit briefly from the outside as you tend to focus just a couple of feet away.



Wmk2

[Fantome]

For those who may not be too fussy, or are just starting out . .. . .It does pay to be obsessive about having as perfect as possible your windows and screens. And spending that bit extra to have the best polishing stuff on the market. And making sure your cloths are the softest. Paper is a no no. As the good book says, start with a good sluice with hose or bucket of water.

Thinking of the good outlook too . . . .. as we brief every time at first brief of the day at the glider field . .. . stay vigilant . . . keep looking . .. . divide and cover the sky as though today's the day someone's going to all of a sudden accelerate your heart beat. The risk is ever there .. . however far off the beaten track you may be.

[185skywagon]

I use a wet chamois to remove any dust, then a soft cloth and plexus.

[OZ-G10]

I wish I could find a loader driver who was as diligent as some of you lot to keep my windscreen clean! Then I'd have a better chance of seeing those wires that I must be nearly hitting every day. I know they're there because every time I go under one I get interference through the stereo.:hmm:

[Wally Mk2]

"OZ" yr welcome to that game buddy!:ok:
Flying is dangerous enuf without tempting fate:-)
Stay alert & become a cranky old man:-):-)

I knew the guy well who not that long ago left us for a better place (hopefully) down there in SE Gippy, he always said ahhhh it's a peace of cake this Ag flying you become as one with the machine, I guess he was wrong:sad:


Wmk2

[Fantome]

'Johnno', 'Bones' or 'The Germ' was one of those memorable characters who leave an indelible impression dating from those wet behind the ears days.

From 1958 to 1962 he was chief pilot for John Dowling's company, Air Charter Tours in Canberra. They had a C172A, a couple of C182Bs and a C336. Later he instructed for Maslings, where he helped a good few gain their Class One Instrument Ratings. Later he and his wife and two girls moved up to the Wee Waa district. One night, spraying the cotton, a great flock of parrots flew up out of the tree they were overnighting in. Poor bugger never had a chance.

[LeadSled]

Folks,
I do hope all you windscreen cleaners are doing same to Manufacturers Instructions or to otherwise approved data, and not (as some particularly fastidious CASA AWIs and FOIs choose to interpret the regulations) committing the serious criminal act of unapproved maintenance.

Yes, I am being serious, this is not a windup!

Tootle pip!!

[VH-XXX]

Maybe this guy is a frustrated Croppie :ok:

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