Plane ditches off Brampton Island
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Plane ditches off Brampton Island
Five missing after plane ditches
By Jodie Munro O'Brien and Michael Wray
April 03, 2008 03:56pm
EMERGENCY services have been alerted after a light plane ditched in the ocean after issuing a distress call.
The mayday was received from an aircraft over Brampton Island off Mackay at 2.15pm.
An RACQ CQ rescue helicopter spokeswoman said the aircraft - carrying a pilot and four passengers - was believed to have ditched into the water 100m from the island.
By Jodie Munro O'Brien and Michael Wray
April 03, 2008 03:56pm
EMERGENCY services have been alerted after a light plane ditched in the ocean after issuing a distress call.
The mayday was received from an aircraft over Brampton Island off Mackay at 2.15pm.
An RACQ CQ rescue helicopter spokeswoman said the aircraft - carrying a pilot and four passengers - was believed to have ditched into the water 100m from the island.
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Fortunately all 5 occupants have been located safely.
Light plane ditches into Whitsundays waters
Thursday Apr 3 16:00 AEDT
A light plane has ditched into water off Squeaky Beach on Carlisle Island in the Whitsundays.
An RACQ Rescue spokeswoman said all five people on board had been winched to safety.
They would be flown to Brampton Island where they would be assessed and a decision made on whether to take them to Mackay Hospital, she said.
The aircraft was submerged in water 200m off the beach, the spokeswoman said.
Thursday Apr 3 16:00 AEDT
A light plane has ditched into water off Squeaky Beach on Carlisle Island in the Whitsundays.
An RACQ Rescue spokeswoman said all five people on board had been winched to safety.
They would be flown to Brampton Island where they would be assessed and a decision made on whether to take them to Mackay Hospital, she said.
The aircraft was submerged in water 200m off the beach, the spokeswoman said.
The ole 'six' doesn't normally glide too well .... ! 
Pity the pilot of the one that went in at Hamilton Is didn't put it in the drink!
Dr
Last edited by ForkTailedDrKiller; 3rd Apr 2008 at 06:36.
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Hey Forkie
Unless he/she fecked up really bad by leaving a fuel tank selector off/uncovered a port while climbing with low fuel......or something.
You could post a reply like.......Pretty Fecking dumb way to go for a swim!
Might get ya banned.
Jaba
(Glad all survived and hopefully not harmed)
Good luck, or good management?
Who cares!
Well done that pilot!
Dr
Who cares!
Well done that pilot!
Dr
You could post a reply like.......Pretty Fecking dumb way to go for a swim!
Might get ya banned.
Jaba
(Glad all survived and hopefully not harmed)
You could post a reply like.......Pretty Fecking dumb way to go for a swim!
Might get ya banned.
Might get ya banned.
Dr
Need To Speed
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Looks like she was a 19 year old CPL. Did a great job of getting it down and everyone was joking in the water about it whilst waiting for the rescue helo. Source: The Courier mail.
Good for her i say
Good for her i say
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Female pilot, 21, in 'textbook ditching'
A 21-year-old female pilot on her first day on the job has performed a "textbook ditching" to save the lives of her four passengers in the sea off Mackay.
All five on board survived when the Cherokee Piper 6 crashed into the sea 200m off Squeaky Beach on Carlisle Island just after 2pm today.
Australasian Jet general manager Paul Sawyer said the aircraft had been only a few minutes into its flight from Brampton Island to Mackay when pilot Kate English, in her first "official" day on the job, experienced engine trouble.
"The pilot suffered engine problems and turned back towards the point of departure, but on the way back the engine completely stopped," he said.
Mr Sawyer said Ms English carried out a "textbook ditching".
"It was textbook as you'll ever come across. We're very proud of the pilot," he said.
"We invest a lot of time, money and effort into the training of our staff and consquently the pilot has assisted all of the passengers out of the aircraft and everyone is there to tell the story."
Mr Sawyer said Ms English, who has worked with the company for a few months, had also worked as a flight instructor.
He said she instructed the four passengers, believed to be two couples leaving the island after a holiday, to don lifejackets and swim away from the plane when they landed in the water.
"She made the comment the passengers were actually laughing in the water, while bobbing in jackets," Mr Sawyer said.
"It was only about 18 minutes from the emergency call she made to the time rescue helicopter found them."
Mr Sawyer had nothing but praise for the young pilot.
"She is very good, a more than capable pilot," he said.
"She has worked in the region for many years and is well respected throughout the Mackay region as a pilot."
Mr Sawyer said it was unfortunate the ditching happened – "it can happen, but the best outcome has occurred".
"There's only a little bit of lost luggage."
All the plane's occupants were taken back to the island for observation by the RACQ CQ Rescue helicopter.
It was understood none of the group suffered serious injuries. They were to be flown to Mackay Base Hospital.
"They all appear to be fine," a helicopter rescue spokeswoman said.
Good effort for a girlie!!! LOL Love the way they just have to mention the "female pilot". What bl**dy difference does it make FFS
Di
VH-ZMP
A 21-year-old female pilot on her first day on the job has performed a "textbook ditching" to save the lives of her four passengers in the sea off Mackay.
All five on board survived when the Cherokee Piper 6 crashed into the sea 200m off Squeaky Beach on Carlisle Island just after 2pm today.
Australasian Jet general manager Paul Sawyer said the aircraft had been only a few minutes into its flight from Brampton Island to Mackay when pilot Kate English, in her first "official" day on the job, experienced engine trouble.
"The pilot suffered engine problems and turned back towards the point of departure, but on the way back the engine completely stopped," he said.
Mr Sawyer said Ms English carried out a "textbook ditching".
"It was textbook as you'll ever come across. We're very proud of the pilot," he said.
"We invest a lot of time, money and effort into the training of our staff and consquently the pilot has assisted all of the passengers out of the aircraft and everyone is there to tell the story."
Mr Sawyer said Ms English, who has worked with the company for a few months, had also worked as a flight instructor.
He said she instructed the four passengers, believed to be two couples leaving the island after a holiday, to don lifejackets and swim away from the plane when they landed in the water.
"She made the comment the passengers were actually laughing in the water, while bobbing in jackets," Mr Sawyer said.
"It was only about 18 minutes from the emergency call she made to the time rescue helicopter found them."
Mr Sawyer had nothing but praise for the young pilot.
"She is very good, a more than capable pilot," he said.
"She has worked in the region for many years and is well respected throughout the Mackay region as a pilot."
Mr Sawyer said it was unfortunate the ditching happened – "it can happen, but the best outcome has occurred".
"There's only a little bit of lost luggage."
All the plane's occupants were taken back to the island for observation by the RACQ CQ Rescue helicopter.
It was understood none of the group suffered serious injuries. They were to be flown to Mackay Base Hospital.
"They all appear to be fine," a helicopter rescue spokeswoman said.
Good effort for a girlie!!! LOL Love the way they just have to mention the "female pilot". What bl**dy difference does it make FFS
Di
VH-ZMP
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Well done to the Pilot for all passengers walking away, lets just wait to see what the ATSB has to say about the text book bit.
Does anyone here know much about the fuel system in the Cherokee 6 ?, was it a 260 or 300HP ?, or what the relative humidity was ?.
Does anyone here know much about the fuel system in the Cherokee 6 ?, was it a 260 or 300HP ?, or what the relative humidity was ?.
Does anyone here know much about the fuel system in the Cherokee 6 ?, was it a 260 or 300HP ?, or what the relative humidity was ?.
4 tanks (can't remember capacities)- not hard to drain a tip tank dry.
I suspect the RH was low.
Dr
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Lucky it was today and not a couple of days ago. The water off the end of 14 at Brampton looks scary in 25 knots even in an ampib caravan - definitely not fun to go swimming in. Today would have been just about ideal ditching conditions - between 10 and 15 knots south easterly giving reasonably flat water with enough surface texture to give good height perception above the water.
Fantastic work, there is no such thing as good luck in a ditching I think, only good management!
And good work by the rescue chopper to be there so quick.
I hope permission was given for the close up photos to be passed onto the media. I don't think I'd want my face all over the media until I'd had a proper chance to process my thoughts....and that wouldn't be for me still dripping wet...it would take a number of beers for that to occur.
And good work by the rescue chopper to be there so quick.
I hope permission was given for the close up photos to be passed onto the media. I don't think I'd want my face all over the media until I'd had a proper chance to process my thoughts....and that wouldn't be for me still dripping wet...it would take a number of beers for that to occur.
Just Binos
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Onya Kate! Don't bother listening to the wannabees on here. You got your engine failure out of the way early, it's all up from here girl! Delighted to hear you are ok!
Erin's dad.
Erin's dad.