Wheels Up at Honeymoon!?

[Flying Meat Cleaver]

Just came across this little gem! Been kept pretty quiet...

https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/2013/aair/ao-2013-143.aspx

Anyone have any details? It's obviously for the contract held by Sharps but last time I checked, they didn't have a C441!

FMC.

[roundaboutway]

Its owned by TAE but operated by Sharp Airlines, I think it was one of the old Jetcraft ones they did up.

RegoSearch | VH-SMO Australian Aircraft Registration Details (http://www.regosearch.com/aircraft/au/SMO)

[grumbles69]

I could have guessed there would be a bird involved! :D

[Desert Flower]

Its owned by TAE but operated by Sharp Airlines, I think it was one of the old Jetcraft ones they did up.

I'm pretty sure I've heard Rossair pilots flying it.

DF.

[roundaboutway]

Quite possibly DF, I'm guessing TAE were leasing it out. Sharp must be leasing it now for the honeymoon run which was being done previously by a king air.

[Desert Flower]

Sharp must be leasing it now for the honeymoon run which was being done previously by a king air.

VH-URU used to do two trips up there on Tuesdays, not sure if it still does. Another King Air (ODI) goes up there on Fridays.

DF.

[Dog One]

I notice the ATSB Summary shows nil damage to the aircraft. One would imagine that a wheel's up landing would do some damage.

[Desert Flower]

I notice the ATSB Summary shows nil damage to the aircraft.

Quick - interview that pilot & find out how he managed to land wheels up & not do any damage!
From what I have heard the emus at YHON are a real problem. And of course the strip is not fenced - even bigger problem!

DF.

[roundaboutway]

Anyone know if it has been recovered or is it still at Honeymoon?

[falconx]

Still sitting there

[tmpffisch]

Friggin' emus....

Group of five emus cause pilot to "belly-flop" plane about 400km from Adelaide | News.com.au (http://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/group-of-five-emus-cause-pilot-to-bellyflop-plane-about-400km-from-adelaide/story-fnizu68q-1226781989477)

[Desert Flower]

It's a wonder there were only five - anything up to several dozen is the norm. Must have been a slow day!

DF.

[Bones13]

Flightaware suggests it flew Honeymoon-Adelaide on the 25th of October.

[BEACH KING]

Poor bastard. That same thing has nearly happened to me.
A go-round after a mob of roos ran onto the strip, and subsequent "manoevering" to hunt the bloody things away from the strip caused me to forget the downwind checks for the second time. The PUFF check on late final was the only thing that saved me. I thank the cranky old instructer who used to knock your headsets off with a biff under the ear if you didn't say the PUFF checks out loud. :sad:

[compressor stall]

I note that the report said that there was power on final so the gear warning horn didn't go off, but I always wonder how many of these accidents could be saved by having the gear warning horn set to something above idle power. For most of my GA time on twins, gear warning set to the MP of idle power seemed to be the norm of many maintenance orgs.

It's a bit late by then....

[VH-XXX]

A go-round after a mob of roos ran onto the strip, and subsequent "manoevering" to hunt the bloody things away from the strip

There is a similar problem at my local airfield. We have a dog farm next door and the little buggers are constantly escaping and congregating on the runway. Many times they have been black and hard to see on the runway thus requiring last-moment "manoevering" to miss them.

[BEACH KING]

We have a dog farm next door
http://www.dirtbikeworld.net/forum/images/smilies/rofl.gif A dog farm!! Wow.... the divide between the city and the bush. Your neighbour farms them ...and C185 makes a living trying to get rid of them :p

[PLovett]

I note that the report said that there was power on final so the gear warning horn didn't go off, but I always wonder how many of these accidents could be saved by having the gear warning horn set to something above idle power. For most of my GA time on twins, gear warning set to the MP of idle power seemed to be the norm of many maintenance orgs.

Most Cessna aircraft of the 400 series that I have flown also sound the gear horn for any extension of the flaps beyond the first stage. Does this not apply to the 441?

[compressor stall]

Never flown the 441, so can't comment. My musings were directed at general GA aircraft, and thinking about it now, including singles.

[Pinky the pilot]

Emu problems, eh? Sounds like someone will have to start applying Rule# 22/250.:E

How are ya DF?:D

[Desert Flower]

Emu problems, eh? Sounds like someone will have to start applying Rule# 22/250.

That was my comment to one of the pilots that used to fly a Kingair in there. However apparently they're not allowed to, nor are they allowed to fence the strip.

How are ya DF?

Recovering from the hip replacement I had a month ago!

DF.

[Mail-man]

http://www.cessnaconquest.net/65/87.html

Suggests the same warning as other C400's. Assuming the horn was functional. With flap not beyond approach gear up and power on that would make a mighty quick approach.

[Arnold E]

Assuming the horn was functional

Horn was functional:ok:

[500N]

"That was my comment to one of the pilots that used to fly a Kingair in there. However apparently they're not allowed to, nor are they allowed to fence the strip."

Any farmer anywhere should be able to get a permit to destroy protected wildlife if in numbers that are causing problems.

And if they won't give you one, a 4WD with a Bull bar works wonders,
especially on an airstrip where you can go fast and nothing the authorities
can do about it. They soon learn to stay away from those paddocks ;)

[Jabawocky]

A dog farm!! Wow.... the divide between the city and the bush. Your neighbour farms them ...and C185 makes a living trying to get rid of them

And what a potent weapon he has too just quietly! :ok:

[Jack Ranga]

Research conducted by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau found that distractions were a normal part of everyday flying and pilots generally responded to distractions quickly and efficiently.

Holy snap! Must make sure I'm one of those pilots!

[Desert Flower]

Any farmer anywhere should be able to get a permit to destroy protected wildlife if in numbers that are causing problems.

You're forgetting that this is a uranium mine, & therefore the owners wouldn't take too kindly to anyone other than approved personnel being on the premises. When I was the ARO at YLEC (along with my husband) we had permits (or rather the aerodrome owner had them) to deal with the roos & emus, plus anything else that was found within the grounds - particularly the mangy mutts from the nearby towns that used it as a shortcut to the adjacent sheep paddock.

And if they won't give you one, a 4WD with a Bull bar works wonders

The one day I found a group of 20 emus standing on the tarmac just inside the main gates I had to make do with chasing them in my Holden Commodore. I didn't have the keys to the gun cabinet, plus it was almost time for the RPT aircraft to depart so I had to disperse them as quickly as possible.

DF.

[fizflyer]

The horn sounds after more than takeoff flap has been extended. When approach flap is extended the horn can be inhibited by advancement of power levers above flight idle but that horn cannot be silenced by power lever advancement when landing /full flaps are selected. That is if landing gear hasn't been selected down!

[boguing]

Young Emu. "Oh good, no horn, he's not going to try and kill us with the roundy roundy things".

Wise old Emu. "Young fool, no horn means he's going to try and get us with the bladey bladeys - RUN".

[500N]

Desert

"You're forgetting that this is a uranium mine, & therefore the owners wouldn't take too kindly to anyone other than approved personnel being on the premises."

Yes, I agree. I know a few mines have dedicated eradicators etc to do the job.

Good to see someone had got permits. The other thing is, quite a few people I know get permits "just in case" and only use them if needed which is good.

[Ramjet555]

Group of five emus cause pilot to "belly-flop" plane about 400km from Adelaide

http://resources0.news.com.au/images/2013/12/12/1226781/983228-bf206c3a-6313-11e3-be16-1445237cc09f.jpg

The ill-fated Cessna 441 aircraft, which landed with landing gear retracted. SOURCE: Australian Safety Transport Bureau Source: Supplied



A GROUP of emus on a rural landing strip in South Australia's north-east distracted a pilot who was forced to make a "belly flop" landing in September this year, an Australian Government report has found.
A Cessna 441 plane with eight passengers on board made a wheels-up landing on September 3, after it departed Adelaide on a routine charter flight to the Honeymoon aeroplane landing area, about 400km from Adelaide.
It was the pilot's third return flight to Honeymoon, a uranium mine, that day.

http://resources2.news.com.au/images/2013/12/12/1226781/984978-2eeaa90e-6314-11e3-be16-1445237cc09f.jpg
The aircraft was en route to Honeymoon from Adelaide. Source: The Advertiser



But while on route to the destination, the pilot did not lower the landing gear.
Australian Transport Safety Bureau assistant general manager strategic capability Joe Hattley said the wheels did not have time to come out as a result of the pilot forgetting to lower the landing gear.
"As he was going through his final approach ... he was distracted by emus," he said.
"It is a fairly open area, there was a check to make sure the runway was clear (but) he spotted some emus ... (and) forgot to put the landing gear down."

http://resources0.news.com.au/images/2013/12/12/1226781/985032-6f6d6b92-6314-11e3-be16-1445237cc09f.jpg
The pilot was distracted by emus while landing, according to the report. Source: News Limited



Mr Hattley said it was called a "belly landing" or "wheels up landing".
"So it damaged the bottom of the aircraft," he said.
Mr Hattley said no one was injured, but it was lodged as an incident because of the level of damage to the bottom of the plane.
In the report, the pilot said the landing gear warning horn did not sound.
Mr Hattley said the report reminded pilots about the possible distractions while flying and prevent them from happening.
"It (belly flop landings) happen from time to time," he said.
The report states: "This incident highlights the impact distractions can have on aircraft operations, particularly during a critical phase of flight."
Research conducted by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau found that distractions were a normal part of everyday flying and pilots generally responded to distractions quickly and efficiently.
"It also revealed that 13 per cent of accidents and incidents associated with pilot distraction between January 1997 and September 2004 occurred during the approach phase of flight," the report read.




No Cookies | thetelegraph.com.au (http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/travel/travel-news/group-of-five-emus-cause-pilot-to-bellyflop-plane-about-400km-from-adelaide/story-fnjjv9zk-1226781989477)

[Mail-man]

Theres already a thread on this in dg&p wheels up at honeymoon!?

[Pinky the pilot]

Standing by to be corrected, but is it true that until recently the aircraft was one of the two engineless hulks outside a hangar at YPAD and completely rebuilt only a few months ago?

I was told that it had logged less than 50 hours since the rebuild.:{

[Desert Flower]

I first heard it at least 6 months or more ago.

DF.