F27 Crash at Bathurst
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F27 Crash at Bathurst
Does anyone have/know where i can get a copy of the DoT accident report (76-2) for East West's F27 VH-EWL?
It crashed due to wind shear at bathurst on 31/05/1974, and i'm after the report fairly urgently, as my report on Cb's is due VERY soon!!
Thanks in advance.
[email protected]
[ 29 October 2001: Message edited by: LongWing ]
It crashed due to wind shear at bathurst on 31/05/1974, and i'm after the report fairly urgently, as my report on Cb's is due VERY soon!!
Thanks in advance.
[email protected]
[ 29 October 2001: Message edited by: LongWing ]
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Longwing - the aeroplane as you rightly quote was VH-EWL - Captain was Frank Owens. I do not know where you would find the accident report but try the database at airdisaster.com
According to Frank - a lovely guy and later an F28 driver for eenie weenie - he was short on final into BHS and the winds went from 35 knots on the nose to 35 knots on the tail instantaneously - Lima started to shudder into a stall and he applied full power to both Darts and selected gear up - all to no avail -Lima bellied adjacent to the runway and exited the airport through a perimeter fence. Number 2 turbine left the aeroplane during the slide on the belly (the F27 was designed to do this through its "Troopship" military variants) causing a flash fire in the engine pod that self extinguished and pulled up with Frank looking at a very bemused housewife doing the washing up in a farmhouse kitchen. The cabin crew opened the rear door and the passengers stepped out unhurt. A tough aeroplane and a great Airman.
The cause of the accident was initially laid on Frankie - as was normal - but it was proved that this was the first recorded or acknowledge instance of microburst and he was exhonourated of all blame as he should have been.
Lima was bought by a consortium to be put back into service but after they bought her they discovered that the hull was fully one foot shorter than it should have been because of the accident. DoA would not certify it to fly.
I hope this helps.
VH-EWL flew again as a BAe146-300 - with the memories of a wonderful pilot and a magnificent aeroplane that now rests as a fire training hulk at Bankstown remembered and accompanying her every flight.
Best regards
EWL
According to Frank - a lovely guy and later an F28 driver for eenie weenie - he was short on final into BHS and the winds went from 35 knots on the nose to 35 knots on the tail instantaneously - Lima started to shudder into a stall and he applied full power to both Darts and selected gear up - all to no avail -Lima bellied adjacent to the runway and exited the airport through a perimeter fence. Number 2 turbine left the aeroplane during the slide on the belly (the F27 was designed to do this through its "Troopship" military variants) causing a flash fire in the engine pod that self extinguished and pulled up with Frank looking at a very bemused housewife doing the washing up in a farmhouse kitchen. The cabin crew opened the rear door and the passengers stepped out unhurt. A tough aeroplane and a great Airman.
The cause of the accident was initially laid on Frankie - as was normal - but it was proved that this was the first recorded or acknowledge instance of microburst and he was exhonourated of all blame as he should have been.
Lima was bought by a consortium to be put back into service but after they bought her they discovered that the hull was fully one foot shorter than it should have been because of the accident. DoA would not certify it to fly.
I hope this helps.
VH-EWL flew again as a BAe146-300 - with the memories of a wonderful pilot and a magnificent aeroplane that now rests as a fire training hulk at Bankstown remembered and accompanying her every flight.
Best regards
EWL
It's funny that in Australia the investigation authority can see through the bollox of the "someone is allways to blame", whereas the Yank NTSB cannot do the same thing for the L-1011 (N726DA) involved in the microburst encounter on 2/8/'85 at DFW.
About the only real way Australian authorities lead the world in anything to do with a/c.
[ 29 October 2001: Message edited by: OpsNormal ]
About the only real way Australian authorities lead the world in anything to do with a/c.
[ 29 October 2001: Message edited by: OpsNormal ]
Just for a bit of useless information re the F - 27, the F/O was Phil Power who is now flying for Singapore Airlines as a Captain on Airbus & his son Martin is now an F/O on Dash - 8's for Eastern, his daughter was an instructor at BK for a while. Seems like flying runs in the family.
I have known Phil since his days in the ATC & he is also one of nature's great gentlemen aviators.
I have known Phil since his days in the ATC & he is also one of nature's great gentlemen aviators.
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LongWing,
Have you tried http://www.atsb.gov.au/aviation/index.cfm? You will probably have to ask for a paper copy of the report.
Have you tried http://www.atsb.gov.au/aviation/index.cfm? You will probably have to ask for a paper copy of the report.
LongWing
I have a copy of said report. Have you tried your nearest Aust Govt Bookshop? If you are really desperate and you can tolerate a few days delay I can get mine photocopied for you. It's 24 pages BTW. My email is in my profile.
I have a copy of said report. Have you tried your nearest Aust Govt Bookshop? If you are really desperate and you can tolerate a few days delay I can get mine photocopied for you. It's 24 pages BTW. My email is in my profile.
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The July/August 1984 issue of Australian Flying had an article on windshear, it also has 3 photos of "City of Albury" at Bathurst. The aircraft came to a stop about 500m to the East of RWY 17 threshold parked next to a farm house and a bloody big tree. The photos show the aircraft intact with the No. 2 Engine missing and damage around the nose. I'd say well done by the crew!
EWL,
The fire training area at BK was removed about 10 years ago (when they they closed the fire station), and to allow for expansion of the airport on the western side. I do remember seeing a fuselarge of an F27 there prior to this, but I don't know what has happened to it since.
XP-72,
Just to update your useless information, young Martin is currently in the USA doing a B737 endorsement. Phil's daughter is now a Dash 8 FO with Eastern.
EWL,
The fire training area at BK was removed about 10 years ago (when they they closed the fire station), and to allow for expansion of the airport on the western side. I do remember seeing a fuselarge of an F27 there prior to this, but I don't know what has happened to it since.
XP-72,
Just to update your useless information, young Martin is currently in the USA doing a B737 endorsement. Phil's daughter is now a Dash 8 FO with Eastern.
G'day LongWing,
I have a hard copy photocopy of the article F111 is talking about. If you are really interested I can make a copy and send it to you via snail mail. Drop me an email - [email protected] if you're interested.
Cheers,
TL
I have a hard copy photocopy of the article F111 is talking about. If you are really interested I can make a copy and send it to you via snail mail. Drop me an email - [email protected] if you're interested.
Cheers,
TL
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A tad off thread but I would love to know what Frank is doing now. A wonderful guy and an equally wonderful Airman. He was however God's testing ground for previously unheard of problems - starting with Echo Whiskey Lima and continued on.
The last I can remember was an F28-4000 departure ex DPO for SYD - EW74. There had been 2 noshos and we rolled with 70 pax. Frankie was at about FL 150 on climbout when the company frequency went - it was EWB - the memory just dropped back on line.
The passenger with 2 empty seats beside her had collapsed and when revived advised the cabin crew she had Hepatitus - Franky wanted a call made to ops so as to determine what he should do - by this time he was turning over FLS for the coastal track to SYD - the call was clear - and I made it - Gun her Frank - keep going - we dont have the facilities here. This was backed up by ops control later. The crew and near passengers all had shots and the seats in the F28 were stripped and replaced.
As soon as the aeroplane descended below 8000 she revived and managed to give authorities the slip in SYD.
Then just to top it off the 2 noshos arrived - and as usual one was a 300 pound very peed off West Coast miner with his son. Late because of road conditions - and not happy about the fact the aeroplane was long gone.
Where are you Frankie??
Best
EWL
The last I can remember was an F28-4000 departure ex DPO for SYD - EW74. There had been 2 noshos and we rolled with 70 pax. Frankie was at about FL 150 on climbout when the company frequency went - it was EWB - the memory just dropped back on line.
The passenger with 2 empty seats beside her had collapsed and when revived advised the cabin crew she had Hepatitus - Franky wanted a call made to ops so as to determine what he should do - by this time he was turning over FLS for the coastal track to SYD - the call was clear - and I made it - Gun her Frank - keep going - we dont have the facilities here. This was backed up by ops control later. The crew and near passengers all had shots and the seats in the F28 were stripped and replaced.
As soon as the aeroplane descended below 8000 she revived and managed to give authorities the slip in SYD.
Then just to top it off the 2 noshos arrived - and as usual one was a 300 pound very peed off West Coast miner with his son. Late because of road conditions - and not happy about the fact the aeroplane was long gone.
Where are you Frankie??
Best
EWL
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This is from the ASN site:
Date: 31.05.1974
Time: 18.22 EST
Type: Fokker F-27 Friendship 100
Operator: East West Airlines
Registration: VH-EWL
C/n: 10344
Year built: 1967
Total airframe hrs: 17210 hours
Cycles: 20462 cycles
Crew: 0 fatalities / 4 on board
Passengers: 0 fatalities / 30 on board
Total: 0 fatalities / 34 on board
Location: Bathurst (Australia)
Phase: Final Approach
Nature: Scheduled Passenger
Flight: - Bathurst (Flightnumber )
Remarks:
The aircraft crashed next to Runway 35 during an attempted go-around.
PROBABLE CAUSE: "During the climb performance of the aircraft was adversely affected by an unpredictable encounter with a large change in the horizontal wind component, and an associated downdraught, at a height too low to effect recovery." (Dept. of Transport Australia Accident Investigation Report 76-2)
Date: 31.05.1974
Time: 18.22 EST
Type: Fokker F-27 Friendship 100
Operator: East West Airlines
Registration: VH-EWL
C/n: 10344
Year built: 1967
Total airframe hrs: 17210 hours
Cycles: 20462 cycles
Crew: 0 fatalities / 4 on board
Passengers: 0 fatalities / 30 on board
Total: 0 fatalities / 34 on board
Location: Bathurst (Australia)
Phase: Final Approach
Nature: Scheduled Passenger
Flight: - Bathurst (Flightnumber )
Remarks:
The aircraft crashed next to Runway 35 during an attempted go-around.
PROBABLE CAUSE: "During the climb performance of the aircraft was adversely affected by an unpredictable encounter with a large change in the horizontal wind component, and an associated downdraught, at a height too low to effect recovery." (Dept. of Transport Australia Accident Investigation Report 76-2)
