Float plane flipped Gold Coast
News Article
Three injured in seaplane landing
January 9th, 2010
EMERGENCY services have rushed to Tipplers on the Gold Coast after a seaplane had a hard landing injuring three people.
RACQ CareFlight has winched down a paramedic to the scene to assess and treat those injured.
Initial reports indicate there were six people aboard the plane at the time of the incident.
The accident occurred about 12.45pm.
At this stage the extent of their injuries is unknown.
January 9th, 2010
EMERGENCY services have rushed to Tipplers on the Gold Coast after a seaplane had a hard landing injuring three people.
RACQ CareFlight has winched down a paramedic to the scene to assess and treat those injured.
Initial reports indicate there were six people aboard the plane at the time of the incident.
The accident occurred about 12.45pm.
At this stage the extent of their injuries is unknown.
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News reports indicate he is A-OK 
Other than he is 19 and now they're questioning his experience
Apparently he clipped a crab pot.
All gathered from nine news so my post is moot.
Other than he is 19 and now they're questioning his experience
Apparently he clipped a crab pot.
All gathered from nine news so my post is moot.
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ahhhh the old 19year old pilot. I dont like how people are getting this idea that the young pilots these days can't tango like the old fella's. Well i do admit i have seen the odd young driver that just cant do it yet. However, i have also seen alot of young drivers that have just as good stick and rudder skills as the old blokes. Not taking a dig but it is just something i have noticed latly.
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Seems to be a more detailed story than what other sites are posting...
Seaplane flips after crabpot tangle Local Gold Coast News | goldcoast.com.au | Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
A freak accident with no correlation to the experience of the pilot?
Seaplane flips after crabpot tangle Local Gold Coast News | goldcoast.com.au | Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
"The pilot of the Cloud 9 seaplane decided to abandon the take-off as the crabpot was banging into the plane off South Stradbroke Island.
Cloud 9 part-owner, Michael Cooke, said his pilot had done a marvellous job putting the plane down under the circumstances.
``He decided rather than to keep flying and endanger the lives of those on board he would put it down.'' said Mr Cooke.
``Another boat was in the channel and he hit the sandbank."
Cloud 9 part-owner, Michael Cooke, said his pilot had done a marvellous job putting the plane down under the circumstances.
``He decided rather than to keep flying and endanger the lives of those on board he would put it down.'' said Mr Cooke.
``Another boat was in the channel and he hit the sandbank."
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Great news all are out ok. I say big deal the pilot was 19. He/She I'm sure will learn a lot from what happened in reflection. Just hope they get back on the horse.
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I've just come back from a week's cruising southern Moreton Bay and during that time I noticed that there seemed to be more crab pots than normal put out in what are usually fairly busy channels at this time of year. Also a lot more pot floats seemed to be hard to spot because they were dirty or small. It's possible some of the pot placements are from holidaying people new to crabbing. With some of the very low tides earlier this week a lot of pot lines were floating near the surface at slack water. I didn't go near Tipplers but it's not surprising if the float plane hooked a pot in an area where he might not have expected to find one.
dghob
dghob
And a lot of inconsiderate crabbers have 30m of line on pots in 3m of water. So you avoid the float only to get caught in the 27m of line adjacent to the float......
Very annoying for boaties out on the water......Must be a pain in the arse for the float operators!
Very annoying for boaties out on the water......Must be a pain in the arse for the float operators!
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Glad to hear that everyone got out OK, almost makes me cry seeing yet another float plane upside down though. How many times has ELQ been upside down now??
Stick and rudder skills will certainly help you as a float pilot once you are airborne....they wont help you a bit when you are on the water surrounded by power boats, jet skis, sail boats, fishermen, boat wakes, para sailers, swimmers, snorkellers, kayakers,sandbars etc etc. Its when you are on the water that you want every bit of experience you can get. Flying a float plane is very simple once you are airborne.
Float pilots earn their $$$ from the moment the plane starts till the time it leaves the water they then start earning the $$ again from the time they make the decision where to land till the time they shut down. The part in between leaving the water and landing is the easy bit.
I have seen 400hr pilots that start flying floats pick it up much easier than 2000hr guys. I have also seen guys with 3000hrs TT and 500hrs in a relatively simple and sedate float environment attempt to make the step up to larger aircaft in coastal areas and not be able to cut the mustard. Having flown in that particular area I am sure that cloud nine would have thoroughly checked out the pilot before letting him lose in such a difficult environment but experience in the air and good piloting skills can mean very little on the water.
Just wondering why the water rudders are down in some photos and up in the others.....Rapid decel may cause the handle to flick forward, But I doubt it...just hope I never find out.
Code:
"Well i do admit i have seen the odd young driver that just cant do it yet. However, i have also seen alot of young drivers that have just as good stick and rudder skills as the old blokes. "
Float pilots earn their $$$ from the moment the plane starts till the time it leaves the water they then start earning the $$ again from the time they make the decision where to land till the time they shut down. The part in between leaving the water and landing is the easy bit.
I have seen 400hr pilots that start flying floats pick it up much easier than 2000hr guys. I have also seen guys with 3000hrs TT and 500hrs in a relatively simple and sedate float environment attempt to make the step up to larger aircaft in coastal areas and not be able to cut the mustard. Having flown in that particular area I am sure that cloud nine would have thoroughly checked out the pilot before letting him lose in such a difficult environment but experience in the air and good piloting skills can mean very little on the water.
Just wondering why the water rudders are down in some photos and up in the others.....Rapid decel may cause the handle to flick forward, But I doubt it...just hope I never find out.
Last edited by FOD_Hazard; 10th Jan 2010 at 08:09.
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ELQ the 1968 surviver
With more lives than a lucky cat, ELQ has risen from far worse.
I've many thousand hours on the old girl and the challenge of Tipplers is probably the most challenging esturine operation in the country. I picked up a crabpot in the broadwater before dusk and felt it when attempting to raise the rudders. They jammed, so I shut down to investigate. Finders keepers in a channel and i emptied the contents into the float locker. Getting it out after dark was more of a challenge. Never took one flying. Imagine only possible if you forget to retract the rudders. Under normal circumstances the rudders tuck back in the water flow. The danger is rudder reversal if they are hang out far enough. And the northern sandbank has won against 2 now and tipplers boasts 3 flips now. Age means nothing. I used to fly ELQ at tipplers when I was 19. Just glad all are ok. The back row of ELQ never offered any favours/comforts for inverts. Favourite and first floaty to fly. I remember the technique with the edo 3730 converted amphib floats. Doesn't look like she wears those shoes any more. Hope all parties including ELQ are airborne again soon.
I've many thousand hours on the old girl and the challenge of Tipplers is probably the most challenging esturine operation in the country. I picked up a crabpot in the broadwater before dusk and felt it when attempting to raise the rudders. They jammed, so I shut down to investigate. Finders keepers in a channel and i emptied the contents into the float locker. Getting it out after dark was more of a challenge. Never took one flying. Imagine only possible if you forget to retract the rudders. Under normal circumstances the rudders tuck back in the water flow. The danger is rudder reversal if they are hang out far enough. And the northern sandbank has won against 2 now and tipplers boasts 3 flips now. Age means nothing. I used to fly ELQ at tipplers when I was 19. Just glad all are ok. The back row of ELQ never offered any favours/comforts for inverts. Favourite and first floaty to fly. I remember the technique with the edo 3730 converted amphib floats. Doesn't look like she wears those shoes any more. Hope all parties including ELQ are airborne again soon.
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Yeah, like FOD Hazard, it breaks my heart to see another floatplane broken like that. They are far too beautiful and rare to kill off - lets hope someone does decide to fix the graceful old bird and restore it to its glory.
Glad to see everyone is safe too - it could have been worse. and what a lesson to the rest of us floatplane pilots and new ones to come. Learn from other's mistakes because life is too short to make them all yourself!
The water rudders? hmmm..... in the first pics posted - they were down ..... in the next pics - they were up ????? My first thought was that the pilot had forgotten to pull them up when taking off - that would probably account for some noise as he became airborne (once the pressure of the water was not there and they flicked free) ?????
Lets hope that the young pilot gets back on the horse.
Glad to see everyone is safe too - it could have been worse. and what a lesson to the rest of us floatplane pilots and new ones to come. Learn from other's mistakes because life is too short to make them all yourself!
The water rudders? hmmm..... in the first pics posted - they were down ..... in the next pics - they were up ????? My first thought was that the pilot had forgotten to pull them up when taking off - that would probably account for some noise as he became airborne (once the pressure of the water was not there and they flicked free) ?????
Lets hope that the young pilot gets back on the horse.
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water rudders
Hi all
Just wondering if I'm correct here I am sure they're are many more experienced float pilots around then I. (dont hesitate to correct me)
I have done an amphib endorsement on a Beaver but only the endorsement. The job I had lined up was affected by the GFC and I never got a chance to start.
Water rudders go up at the moment the power goes up for take off. If you dont do this the rudders become super sensitive, because of the dynamic movement of the water around them, and it would be hard to keep control. It may also bend or damage the rudders.
If I'm correct I would suggest the forces of the accident deployed the rudders considering the rapid decellaration and, when the water rudders are picked up the leaver is pulled aft. As for why they are up in other pics I dont know maybe the cable sanpped and gravity is just affecting them. I must say though I hadn't seen the pics.
Glad all are ok, hope the young fella is able to get back in the cockpit soon.
Just wondering if I'm correct here I am sure they're are many more experienced float pilots around then I. (dont hesitate to correct me)
I have done an amphib endorsement on a Beaver but only the endorsement. The job I had lined up was affected by the GFC and I never got a chance to start.
Water rudders go up at the moment the power goes up for take off. If you dont do this the rudders become super sensitive, because of the dynamic movement of the water around them, and it would be hard to keep control. It may also bend or damage the rudders.
If I'm correct I would suggest the forces of the accident deployed the rudders considering the rapid decellaration and, when the water rudders are picked up the leaver is pulled aft. As for why they are up in other pics I dont know maybe the cable sanpped and gravity is just affecting them. I must say though I hadn't seen the pics.
Glad all are ok, hope the young fella is able to get back in the cockpit soon.