Merged: Pel-Air Westwind Ditching off NLK

[Car RAMROD]

NLK was a refuelling stop on their way to MEL.

[GADRIVR]

Anthill

“I hear the boot of Lucifer, I see his filthy face! And it is my face, and yours.”

Funny!!!! well thought out from an insult point of view I think! Touche!
Never was partial to servant girls though!!!
You really must stop making these references though. This crowd possibly wouldn't get it!

"She's a witch burn her" would probably be more accurate!!!!!

[Jabawocky]

GADRVR

How do you know for sure I am not with the ATSB?

Since when has the ATSB been determining the future careers of pilots...

Get over it mate..... They sealed their fate long before they went for a swim and longer before this thread started. FACT

So I hope you have a safe evening as you clearly would not like the reality of the big wide world should you suffer an incident of a similar magnitude.

Bottom line is these folk have a screwed career path, unlike Skiles and Sully who the press imediately compared them to.

No comparing in any way apart from salt water and a wet aircraft!

[boeingbender]

C'mon boeingbender, just how many "guard police" do you think were around Norfolk at the time your 'scenario' was supposed to be taking place???

Sorry Chainsaw, but you missed my point about the "guard police" pretty comprehensively. My point was merely to illustrate that it is a pretty common occurrence for us to make a transmission on the wrong frequency. I am well familiar with the amount of traffic on the VHF frequencies in that part part of the Pacific and it only strengthens my point in that a pilot transmitting on the wrong frequency will have less chance of a friendly chappy popping up 8 milli-seconds after the transmission is made alerting you to the fact that you are indeed not transmitting on the frequency you intended.

And as far as dark and stormy is concerned, it most certainly was dark as there was a new moon on the night in question. There was also rain showers on and off, but ohh-right. It wasn't windy enough to call it a storm, I give you that. I still reckon I have used less poetic license in all this compared to some other posters on this forum.

[j3pipercub]

I get the distinct feeling GADRIVR has a vested interest in the Rex group somehow... Or knows one of the drivers.

As far as the accident is concerned, thank god (or who-ever you pray to) they all got out ok, as it would appear on face value that the pilots didn't have much to do with it. And let's lay off the Cleo thing. There is a very small part of all of us that would if we could...

The Crucible? Nah never heard of it. I is just a under-edjamicated pile-it. Millers metaphor for McCarthyism/Communist witch-hunt in 1950's Hollywood if I remember correctly...

j3

[601]

Has anyone seen a media release from the ATSB in relation to this accident?

[megan]

CASA Media Release - Monday 23 November 2009

Special safety audit after Norfolk ditching

A special audit of two air operators is being carried out by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority following the ocean ditching of a Westwind jet near Norfolk Island last week.

CASA is auditing elements of the operator of the aircraft, Pel-Air Aviation, as well as Regional Express Pty Ltd. Pel-Air is a member of the Regional Express group.

The special audit will look at a range of areas that may relate to the ditching of VH-NGA on Wednesday 18 November 2009.

CASA’s special audit is being carried out in addition to an investigation of the accident by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau. The CASA audit will not pre-empt the findings of this investigation.

Areas to be examined include fuel policies and practice, flight planning, in-flight operations during changing weather conditions, the check and training of pilots, safety management systems and the inter-relationships between Pel-Air and Regional Express.

CASA has already written to the companies requiring a range of relevant documentation to be supplied.

A request has also been made to interview the pilots of the aircraft that ditched.

Media contact:
Peter Gibson
mobile: [phone]
Ref: MR9009

[Brian Abraham]

Interview with Glen Robertson Norfolk Island's airport manager.

Miracle landing on Norfolk Island - Radio National Breakfast - 20 November 2009

Ditched 2 kilometers west and weather cleared 20 minutes after ditching.

[chainsaw]

...so is it not possible that perhaps they in the heat of the moment had managed to tune the wrong frequency?

No, I don't think so, but it would depend on the operator's SOPs, whether VHF#2 had been used to monitor 121.5 during cruise, and whether it remained on that frequency during the descent and approaches.

Is that not a plausible explanation for the missing Mayday call?

Yes! That is not a plausible explanation.

But, why don't we leave this for the ATSB to work out boeingbender?

[truth boy]

Does anyone know what the RFDS's report card looks like in regards to incidents/accidents/fatalities ???

[acementhead]

There is no need for anyone to be concerned about Captain James' future. He has been turned into a hero by the media, sans any relevant facts, and when the truth finally comes out the media will NOT say "We were morons rushing to judgement." the media will ignore the fact that they were wrong. The media NEVER admit that they were wrong(Example "Sadam Hussein, 911, Anthrax, WMD terrorism" parroted over and over again, all lies.)

Captain James has been anointed a hero by the media and a hero he will remain. he is destined for great fortune(well multi multi millions anyway; great fortune by our, the great unwashed's standards).

I predict that he will be starring in the fictional movie that will be made and from there will be able to proceed to a brilliant career as Celebrity Inseminator. At only $10,000 per cover and two covers per week he will be getting a million a year. A nice little addition to the multi millions from the movie.

[Capt Fathom]

A similar incident is being discussed on another Pprune Forum. I am somewhat surprised it hasn't been hijacked by the D&G experts!

[Runaway Gun]

If the guy has made a mistake, then he will surely suffer.

But some of you people are just too holy to ever do the same. Judged and convicted before the court is even assembled.

I feel sorry for him, regardless of the outcome.

[acementhead]

Why would anyone change to 121.5 to make a mayday call out at NI when they were operating NI radio(or unicom or what whatever its called now?) Why not make it on the frequency which you KNEW was being received locally? And further, if there was little(or no) other traffic operating the frequency I would even dispense with the three repetitions of Mayday and call-sign. One is enough. The meaning is clear. One Mayday, declare emergency, declare intentions.

[acementhead]

No captain fathom this is NOT an "incident". Clearly you know nothing of aviation, if you did you'd have called it what it is(and that is DEFINED by law; at least it is in NZ and I'd bet in Aus as well).

[acementhead]

And yes Capt Fathom lots of us ARE experts. I have as much experience and knowledge as some NZ accident investigators and MUCH higher intellect. I have no doubt whatsoever, judging by what I've read here, that quite a few are as experienced, knowledgeable and able as I.

[acementhead]

GADRIVR do you have a potential interest in the money river that will soon be flowing in Captain James' direction? Not implying that you do, just wondering. it would explain a bit.

[acementhead]

Brian Abraham # 373

The interview was a disgrace. It was a piece of "woman fluff". She basically made statements for the hapless interviewee to confirm.

[boeingbender]

I would even dispense with the three repetitions of Mayday

Ahh, such a level headed aviator

Hindsight is ALWAYS 20/20!!

Sitting in front of your keyboard telling the world what YOU would have done carries little significance and even less credibility. The whole point is, we do not yet know what THEY did. Fortunately, they are all alive to tell the story and it will come out in the wash.

Listen, for all I know he could have transmitted on the Grafton CTAF or not at all. I was just trying to highlight the fact that absence of a radiocall on the expected and monitored frequency DOES NOT CONSTITUTE CONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE THAT IT WAS A CFIT INCIDENCE.

ACEMENTHEAD, you should be awarded a PPRUNE award for the most apt username , but perhaps you may wish to shake it up a little and try this

[Capt Fathom]

I have as much experience and knowledge as some NZ accident investigators and MUCH higher intellect

Well, you do call yourself Ace!

Perhaps you may need some more fibre in your diet?