Sydney Beaver

[Gertrude the Wombat]

Six people dead after Sydney Seaplane crashes into Hawkesbury River (http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/sea-plane-crashes-into-hawkesbury-river-in-sydneys-north-20171231-h0bs9b.html)

[Mike Flynn]

The UK Guardian reporting ....

Four Britons are feared dead after a seaplane crashed near Sydney in Australia.

New South Wales police said divers had recovered six bodies from the scene and that an investigation was under way to identify the victims and determine the cause of the crash.

There were six people on board the plane, including the pilot, when it crashed into the Hawkesbury river near Cowan, north of Sydney, at about 3.10pm (0410 GMT) on Sunday, police said.

Acting Superintendent Michael Gorman said the “recovery operation continues” at the site where the single-engine aircraft crashed.

Unconfirmed reports said the casualties included an 11-year-old boy, the pilot and four Britons.Eyewitness Myles Baptiste told the broadcaster 9News that the plane was 500 metres from him when it hit the water.

“It made a tight right-hand turn and as it actually turned around, the wings dipped and it nosedived straight into the water,” he said.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau announced it would investigate the incident.

Local media said the aircraft was from scenic flight company Sydney Seaplanes. It was believed to have been travelling from the Cottage Point Inn to Rose Bay, a police spokesman said.

The company, which has been operating for 80 years, provides flights above and around some of Sydney’s most popular tourist sites including the opera house, the Harbour Bridge, Pittwater and the Hawkesbury river region.

.

[Pilot DAR]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-pilot-gareth-morgan-crash-australia-carbon-monoxide-1.5636732?fbclid=IwAR2qY7oQnVpw7rTMJtE40nnegLhjwEf9tB4zdmmJG LdrOzm0kp1y1AzyuVY

The news reports that CO was a factor in this accident.

https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/2017/aair/ao-2017-118/

Having once been badly affected by CO in a friend's Cessna, I can easily imagine this sad outcome...

[India Four Two]

With regard to CO detection, is there a better alternative to the "black dot" CO detector?

[Piper.Classique]

I've got a caravan type CO detector in my ST87. Screams loudly enough to be heard above the engine at climb power, gets through the noise canceling headset no problem. Has a shut off button and runs on batteries. No, of course it isn't certificated. Occasional flashing light to show its working and ready to detect so we put it behind the pilot. It's easy to reach to cancel the alarm. Fairly quiet beeps at a very low level of CO, then faster and louder if the situation gets serious. I've only heard it on test mode so far, long may that continue. I've never had any confidence in a faded bit of cardboard.

[Maoraigh1]

In addition to the spot I have a B&Q CO detector for the Bolkow 208, where all the ventilation comes past the exhaust, and the cockpit is draught-free.. Never had a bleep. Placed near air inlet
The Jodel cockpit is draughty, with air coming in from above my head.
It has a spot detector, which has successfully responded to exhaust leaks. I had the B&Q one in my flight bag, on the passenger seat. After almost an hour, doing steep turns and stalls, it went off. I returned and it kept screaming until I put it outside. The spot hadn't changed. Before the next flight, I examined the exhausts, and rubbed my finger at joints looking for soot. Nothing. I flew. Still alive.