Plane catches fire as it lands at Parafield

[Desert Flower]

A pilot has had a remarkable escape after his plane burst into flames during an emergency landing at Parafield Airport this morning.

DF.

[Traffic_Is_Er_Was]

Was it an emergency landing? News says the thing caught fire after landing. His "remarkable escape" was to taxi it off the runway, stop, open the door, get out, and stand watching it burn.

[Duck Pilot]

Clearly demonstrates that ARFF services are required at all GAAP airports!

[Desert Flower]

Was it an emergency landing? News says the thing caught fire after landing. His "remarkable escape" was to taxi it off the runway, stop, open the door, get out, and stand watching it burn.

Correction - open the canopy and get out - no doors on a Grumman AA-5. But other than that yes - it apparently caught fire after he landed.

DF.

[Desert Flower]

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/413x303/aircraft_fire_9f02141b41908550c8cbd5a4846db50817d5253a.jpg

[Capt Fathom]

caught fire after he landed

So he came in a little hot! :}

[Desert Flower]

So he came in a little hot! :}

Would seem so!

DF.

[NaFenn]

Clearly demonstrates that ARFF services are required at all GAAP airports!
Realistically having a fire brigade to respond to less than 5 incidents a year is pointless when there is a career fire station within 10 minutes of every metro class D airport. The cost involved alone, and the increase in airport fees to cover such a rarely used service would well and truley outweight the 10 minutes saved.

[aroa]

Cause of fire ? Birds nest perhaps or more technical issue.? Pity about the aircraft.

[deja vu]

Realistically having a fire brigade to respond to less than 5 incidents a year is pointless when there is a career fire station within 10 minutes of every metro class D airport. The cost involved alone, and the increase in airport fees to cover such a rarely used service would well and truley outweight the 10 minutes saved.
Unless you have experienced sitting in a burning aircraft for 10 more minutes. I wonder how much a human life is worth in order to calculate the value of the services.

[43Inches]

And who will be the first to complain when your parking fees increase by $1000 per year or $50 per landing to cover on field fire fighting. When it could be done by the local service for free, albeit a 10 minute call out.

I would like to know the reason for the fire though, we all know its an uncommon occurrence. Mechanical fault or mishandled engine?

[deja vu]

$1000/year, $50/landing, is chicken feed for the insurance it provides, if you can't afford it, park or land elsewhere. Might as well dispense with ATC, think of the savings.

[witwiw]

When it could be done by the local service for free

Are you sure? I had a local callout to a shop a while back and there was a fee. Melbourne metro area.

[deja vu]

Are you sure? I had a local callout to a shop a while back and there was a fee. Melbourne metro area.
That was the case previously for properties that did not have insurance. This changed when a compulsory "fire service levy" was added to council rates for all properties in Victoria. But in the case of the Fireys being called to an aircraft or say a car fire, which may or may not have comprehensive insurance, I also doubt it would be free.

[43Inches]

Are you sure? I had a local callout to a shop a while back and there was a fee. Melbourne metro area.

As far as I'm aware you are only charged for false alarm callouts. Ambulance on the other hand is charged unless you have membership, and is around $1000-$2000 for a short trip to hospital, they will still charge if you have private insurance, you just have to pass the bill to your insurance yourself. Beware of state membership if you are a pilot, as it may not cover you interstate.

As far as airport fees, not sure many operators there would call $1000/year chicken feed. Its about $3000 per year now if you pay yearly, and $9 per landing, Airservices additional, also the figure is per ton. The locals would love you increasing their rates that much in one go.... I'm pretty sure if Airservices could make a buck out of fire services there it would be there already.

[outnabout]

Traffic Is Er Was...

not even as dramatic as it sounds.

pilot and aircraft land on 21R at YPPF.
Notices things not quite as they should be, so pulls almost off the runway and gets out.
Runway closed.
Pilot applies fire extinguisher.
ground crew sent to inspect.
pilot has a chat with the ground crew.
fire brigade arrive a good 20 minutes later, in time to push the aircraft completely off the runway.
runway re-opens, airport speculation begins as to whose aircraft it was and the cause of the fire.

[Vag277]

Duck Pilot & deja vu
In the early 1990s the GA community lobbied vigorously for ARFFS to be removed due to cost. Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it.

[Lead Balloon]

Please (please) tell me that no one is seriously suggesting that ARFFS should be reinstated at GAAP (sorry - I think “Metropolitan D” is the politically correct description) aerodromes, on the basis that a single-engined GA aircraft made some smoke after landing.

Even if it burnt to the axles. Seriously?

Since when has a metropolitan fire service responded to a fire in a home in under 20 minutes? Why do so many participants in aviation think that aviation is so, so special?

The FFS in ARFFS comes to mind.

[Checklist Charlie]

The ARFFS are well practised volleyball teams.
I also remember when they were refered to as "F Troop".

CC