Bonanza makes forced landing at Beagle Bay
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Bonanza makes forced landing at Beagle Bay
Heard on the radio of a Bonanza enroute from Cape Leveque to Broome had engine "difficulties" and landed at Beagle Bay.
Hope all was well... didn't hear how the landing went, but if they made it to the airstrip, should have been a painless landing.
Hope all was well... didn't hear how the landing went, but if they made it to the airstrip, should have been a painless landing.
ABC Kimberley
90 seconds to live.
That was the thought that ran through Broome hobby pilot Edward Skender's mind as he experienced engine failure on a flight back from Cape Leveque to Broome yesterday afternoon.
"We were driven to the airport for a take off at 5pm, because we intended to arrive in Broome for sunset. Considering that the whole trip was about 1200 kilometres, to have this problem with the aircraft with 100 kilometres to go was quite amazing."
Edward continued, "The engine was making more noise than it should have been and one of the temperature gauges was showing a high reading. That was the first indication that something was not right.
You do a series of checks, and then things went from bad to worse. Everything I tried seemed to make the situation worse. Things were happening quickly, and nothing improved the matter. I tried not to let my passengers know that we were in trouble, but they knew we were.
We had about 90 seconds to live at that stage, had we not been able to land in a suitable area."
Fortunately, Skender was able to identify a temporary air strip near Beagle Bay.
"We were losing about 1000 a thousand feet a minute, and we were at 1500 ft. Below me there were trees and scrubs, not friendly places to come in at 160km an hour. There was a clearing and then an extension, and it was actually a disused air strip."
Relief is an understatement for how Skender felt on touch down.
"It's hard to describe the feeling. My passengers were being very good. All they would have seen out the back is the trees disappear and then this almight thump as the wheels touched. They just erupted into applause, and I was getting my back pounded by them. "We're alive, we're alive!" It was just incredible."
Skender and his passengers then spent a night in the bush before gaining assistance.
"I don't think they'll ever forget it! There were wild donkeys making noises all night, they sounded like crocodiles having sex! I didn't have a weapon, so I got ten flares just in case. We were well provisioned; we had smoked salmon for dinner. But we had no alcohol! A bottle of whiskey or brandy would have been nice. The sandflies and mozzies were shocking. It was a horror night in that regard."
"We saw a vehicle and some help arrive at around 9am. People from the pearl farm had spoken to the police at Dampier Peninsula. They came down in a 4WD and really looked after us, and even drove us back to Broome. I really can't say enough about how well they treated us."
Skender hopes to fly back to the air strip to retrieve his plane in the next few days.
It's the second time his Beech 36 has had trouble.
"In the Kalbarri area we had a loss of fuel pressure which caused a temperature rise in the engine, but nothing like today. We replaced the fuel pump, and I made a trip to Broome without incident and the aircraft has been fine since then. For this to happen was totally unexpected."
I asked Skender if he would hesitate before getting back in the plane.
"Not at all. You've got to be pragmatic. I love flying, and I wouldn't at all think that this is a bad omen. It's good for me. You find out what you're made of. In this case, I feel quite good about what I did and how I did, and if anything I'm a better pilot as a result of the experience."
90 seconds to live.
That was the thought that ran through Broome hobby pilot Edward Skender's mind as he experienced engine failure on a flight back from Cape Leveque to Broome yesterday afternoon.
"We were driven to the airport for a take off at 5pm, because we intended to arrive in Broome for sunset. Considering that the whole trip was about 1200 kilometres, to have this problem with the aircraft with 100 kilometres to go was quite amazing."
Edward continued, "The engine was making more noise than it should have been and one of the temperature gauges was showing a high reading. That was the first indication that something was not right.
You do a series of checks, and then things went from bad to worse. Everything I tried seemed to make the situation worse. Things were happening quickly, and nothing improved the matter. I tried not to let my passengers know that we were in trouble, but they knew we were.
We had about 90 seconds to live at that stage, had we not been able to land in a suitable area."
Fortunately, Skender was able to identify a temporary air strip near Beagle Bay.
"We were losing about 1000 a thousand feet a minute, and we were at 1500 ft. Below me there were trees and scrubs, not friendly places to come in at 160km an hour. There was a clearing and then an extension, and it was actually a disused air strip."
Relief is an understatement for how Skender felt on touch down.
"It's hard to describe the feeling. My passengers were being very good. All they would have seen out the back is the trees disappear and then this almight thump as the wheels touched. They just erupted into applause, and I was getting my back pounded by them. "We're alive, we're alive!" It was just incredible."
Skender and his passengers then spent a night in the bush before gaining assistance.
"I don't think they'll ever forget it! There were wild donkeys making noises all night, they sounded like crocodiles having sex! I didn't have a weapon, so I got ten flares just in case. We were well provisioned; we had smoked salmon for dinner. But we had no alcohol! A bottle of whiskey or brandy would have been nice. The sandflies and mozzies were shocking. It was a horror night in that regard."
"We saw a vehicle and some help arrive at around 9am. People from the pearl farm had spoken to the police at Dampier Peninsula. They came down in a 4WD and really looked after us, and even drove us back to Broome. I really can't say enough about how well they treated us."
Skender hopes to fly back to the air strip to retrieve his plane in the next few days.
It's the second time his Beech 36 has had trouble.
"In the Kalbarri area we had a loss of fuel pressure which caused a temperature rise in the engine, but nothing like today. We replaced the fuel pump, and I made a trip to Broome without incident and the aircraft has been fine since then. For this to happen was totally unexpected."
I asked Skender if he would hesitate before getting back in the plane.
"Not at all. You've got to be pragmatic. I love flying, and I wouldn't at all think that this is a bad omen. It's good for me. You find out what you're made of. In this case, I feel quite good about what I did and how I did, and if anything I'm a better pilot as a result of the experience."
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I'm a better pilot as a result of the experience.
Ah.... the proof of my favourite adage in aviation:
Experience is what you have just after you needed it.
Good job on the part of the pilot though.
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Considering that the whole trip was about 1200 kilometres, to have this problem with the aircraft with 100 kilometres to go was quite amazing."
V to Broome?
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Wow wild donkeys that is scary. 
I once said to an old and bold pilot that an engine failure must come as a shock when it happens.
He replied "No not at all, I am always expecting the damn things to fail, and am pleasantly suprised when they stay running fo the whole flight."
He was a Mosquito pilot at the grand old age of 21 in WW2.
I once said to an old and bold pilot that an engine failure must come as a shock when it happens.
He replied "No not at all, I am always expecting the damn things to fail, and am pleasantly suprised when they stay running fo the whole flight."
He was a Mosquito pilot at the grand old age of 21 in WW2.
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He was a Mosquito pilot at the grand old age of 21 in WW2.
Many years ago, I applied for a job with an MU2 charter company in Melbourne. I was knocked back without a decent interview and the reason given was it was policy not to hire former RAAF pilots or out of work airline pilots because these types could not handle single pilot IFR and in any case would expect too much in terms of aircraft serviceability.
Informed that this applicant had 15,000 flying hours, including single pilot IFR on Mustangs and Vampire jets as well as single pilot IFR on four engine bombers the answer was to the effect of "STIFF - PISS OFF...
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so he still had an engine, but was descending at 1000fpm? uuhuh.
90 seconds to live?......Hmmm.
was going to land at 160KPH?...... uuhuh
Flares to ward of the wild donkeys?....mmmm.
and to top it all off, the fool cried on tele while explaining how he saved the day.
Buggered if I would fly with him......... just to much action for my tastes.
90 seconds to live?......Hmmm.
was going to land at 160KPH?...... uuhuh
Flares to ward of the wild donkeys?....mmmm.
and to top it all off, the fool cried on tele while explaining how he saved the day.
Buggered if I would fly with him......... just to much action for my tastes.
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Fair enough mate. I guess if I flew an aerostar I could be a hero too.
Like I said, it would have been far to exciting for my tastes. I prefer to land slower, stay up longer if I still have partial power, or at least descend at a lesser rate and then avoid the media, especially if I was too emotional to talk about it without bursting into tears.
Just because your engine makes a noise really doesn't mean your going to die......... and donkeys won't kill ya.
Good job on him getting his pax down safely, but strewth, making comments like he made in the interview is a little over the top.
Never mind. I guess you would have coasted to Broome and nominated yourself for a bravery award.
I guess if I flew an aerostar I could be a hero too. Like I said, it would have been far to exciting for my tastes. I prefer to land slower, stay up longer if I still have partial power, or at least descend at a lesser rate and then avoid the media, especially if I was too emotional to talk about it without bursting into tears.
Just because your engine makes a noise really doesn't mean your going to die......... and donkeys won't kill ya.
Good job on him getting his pax down safely, but strewth, making comments like he made in the interview is a little over the top.
Never mind. I guess you would have coasted to Broome and nominated yourself for a bravery award.
Last edited by the wizard of auz; 11th Oct 2008 at 23:15.
That's much better Wiz. Coast to Broome and be a hero? Good to have a few dramatics and Ed may well have been thinking of "never let the facts get in the road of a good story" must say, the wild donkeys were a bit of a worry, would've sounded better if a couple of Bengal tigers were in the area!! Let's leave it there mate.
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I must admit I did get a cackle out of the "donkeys sounded like crocodiles mating" remark. 
you could scare the hell outta some backpackers with all sorts of good stories with them sound effects going on in the background. 
They believe everything in Australia will eat ya.
you could scare the hell outta some backpackers with all sorts of good stories with them sound effects going on in the background. They believe everything in Australia will eat ya.
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"donkeys sounded like crocodiles mating"
crocodiles having sex!
"Having sex" is an activity perculiar to humans and some species of apes, ie chimpanzees, especially bonobos - that are known to copulate when the female is not fertile, presumably for pleasure!
Most animal species "mate" or "copulate"!
Dr
Oh dear! I think I had best go sit quietly in the corner now!
Most animal species "mate" or "copulate"!
Dr
Oh dear! I think I had best go sit quietly in the corner now!
Thanks for the correction Doc
I like the word "copulate". It sounds more appropriate in this story.
Still thumbs up for our pilot for keeping his passengers and himself cheat the ninety seconds deadline
PS: Doc, since you are the seasond Bonza driver, any comments on what might have happened?
I like the word "copulate". It sounds more appropriate in this story.
Still thumbs up for our pilot for keeping his passengers and himself cheat the ninety seconds deadline
PS: Doc, since you are the seasond Bonza driver, any comments on what might have happened?
any comments on what might have happened?
"The engine was making more noise than it should have been and one of the temperature gauges was showing a high reading"
Dr
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wowowoow when I saw the subject heading I quickly dove in to see if the Dr was okay, in the Dr's case it would be fancy knowing exactly where yr gunna crash right to the inch (with how many GPS's Dr?) when nobody can help ya anyway 'till the next day:P-)
to the pilot for being brave to be in a SE in the first place, job well done !
90 secs from 1500' hey?, hmmmm glide ratio like a house brick:-)
CW
Dr was okay, in the Dr's case it would be fancy knowing exactly where yr gunna crash right to the inch (with how many GPS's Dr?) when nobody can help ya anyway 'till the next day:P-)to the pilot for being brave to be in a SE in the first place, job well done !90 secs from 1500' hey?, hmmmm glide ratio like a house brick:-)
CW