C210 down near Lake Cowan (South of Kalgoorlie)
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C210 down near Lake Cowan (South of Kalgoorlie)
Just heard two are trapped in wreckage.
Don't know which aircraft. Various rescuers enroute.
Don't know which aircraft. Various rescuers enroute.
Last edited by Another Number; 13th Jul 2010 at 09:21. Reason: Near Kal
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The crash area would be in the region of Higginsville, an area with which I'm very familiar, as I spent numerous years in the region, from Kalgoorlie to Norseman. There's a lot of big trees in that area, and they will be in pretty bad shape, I'd say.
I trust the rescue people find them before dark, it's just gone sundown, as of right now. If they don't, they might be spending a long, cold night in that rough country.
Plane crashes in Kalgoorlie, two trapped - The West Australian
I trust the rescue people find them before dark, it's just gone sundown, as of right now. If they don't, they might be spending a long, cold night in that rough country.
Plane crashes in Kalgoorlie, two trapped - The West Australian
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From what I have heard its upside down in the salt lake, with one person trapped. Hopefully they can get to them as its cold in Kal this time of the year and I doubt you can drive a car on the lake as its been raining heavy in the region
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Seemingly accurate update, even with nautical miles included .. 
1930 local time makes it another hour before the two are reached. 14 kms from Higginsville would most certainly make the crash site, the Lake.
They might have avoided vegetation on that basis, but the lake is treacherous and can hardly be walked on for the depth and stickiness of the mud. It most certainly can't be driven on, except by specialised tracked vehicles.
Pilot and passenger injured in plane crash
1930 local time makes it another hour before the two are reached. 14 kms from Higginsville would most certainly make the crash site, the Lake.
They might have avoided vegetation on that basis, but the lake is treacherous and can hardly be walked on for the depth and stickiness of the mud. It most certainly can't be driven on, except by specialised tracked vehicles.
Pilot and passenger injured in plane crash
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The RAC chopper reached the site at 2005 hrs local time, and it is reported that the C210 was doing mineral surveying when it was forced down and flipped when it hit the lake surface (as would be expected for a surface that equates with tidal salt flats). The pilot and his passenger are aged in their early 50's and early 60's, and both are injured; but one of them was able to use a satphone to call for help. No information is available yet, as to the extent of their injuries. Overnight temperatures are down around 5-6°C, but the wind is near calm.
The lake surface is extremely treacherous soft mud of varying depth, and I doubt very much if the RAC chopper would have been able to land at the crash site. Around 15mm of rain has fallen in the area in the 7 days, and the lake will be virtually impossible to traverse on foot or with any vehicle. The lake is usually only traversed by lightweight specialist tracked vehicles or quad bikes. The only other usual method of access out onto the lake is to build a causeway.
I would imagine that an attempt will be made to land medics on site with the chopper, and to try and move the injured out by air, despite rescuers approaching by land. The mine rescue team and the Norsemen SES will not be able to traverse any of the lake with regular vehicles, although the local mining operations are likely to have something like quad bikes or specialised lake-traversing equipment. Back in the early 1970's, a French company called Union Miniere used Landrovers specially fitted with Cuthbertson tracks to traverse the lake.
The lake surface is extremely treacherous soft mud of varying depth, and I doubt very much if the RAC chopper would have been able to land at the crash site. Around 15mm of rain has fallen in the area in the 7 days, and the lake will be virtually impossible to traverse on foot or with any vehicle. The lake is usually only traversed by lightweight specialist tracked vehicles or quad bikes. The only other usual method of access out onto the lake is to build a causeway.
I would imagine that an attempt will be made to land medics on site with the chopper, and to try and move the injured out by air, despite rescuers approaching by land. The mine rescue team and the Norsemen SES will not be able to traverse any of the lake with regular vehicles, although the local mining operations are likely to have something like quad bikes or specialised lake-traversing equipment. Back in the early 1970's, a French company called Union Miniere used Landrovers specially fitted with Cuthbertson tracks to traverse the lake.
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The good news is that both pilot and passenger have been found safe and well, and had freed themselves from the wreckage, and were sitting on the planes wing.
They have been airlifted to Kalgoorlie, with both parties suffering nothing more than minor injuries. They have been admitted to Kalgoorlie hospital for treatment. It's nice to be able to report a good ending.
They have been airlifted to Kalgoorlie, with both parties suffering nothing more than minor injuries. They have been admitted to Kalgoorlie hospital for treatment. It's nice to be able to report a good ending.
From Radio 6PR Perth at 1020WST,
Both survived and are on way to KG hospital.
One person aged 52 and the other 67 is all details released at this stage.
Good Luck to them both, and a job well done to the chopper crews.
Polair and RAC choppers both involved apparently.
p.s.
OOps sorry 'Onetrack' - I guess we were both typing together......
Both survived and are on way to KG hospital.
One person aged 52 and the other 67 is all details released at this stage.
Good Luck to them both, and a job well done to the chopper crews.
Polair and RAC choppers both involved apparently.
p.s.
OOps sorry 'Onetrack' - I guess we were both typing together......
Good Ending
Couldn't the rescuers use a "Hoverboat" or something to reach the plane???? In America they use them to get everywhere, as well as swamp boats to reach stuff on muddy sites...
Cheers, KP
Couldn't the rescuers use a "Hoverboat" or something to reach the plane???? In America they use them to get everywhere, as well as swamp boats to reach stuff on muddy sites...
Cheers, KP
Was the aircraft actually doing surveying, or was it just a survey aircraft? There's a bit of survey work going on across the Nullarbor these days - and Kalgoorlie would be a good place to fly to get to a supermarket.
Thomson's and Fugro are both in the area.
Thanks 'TB',
I see from the register that its a 'L' model 210.
Any photos available, and is it salvageable I wonder?
The pilot is reported to have sustained spinal injuries and is 'stable'.
An excellent job & A BIG "WELL DONE" to the RAC Chopper guys, and ALL CONCERNED...
I see from the register that its a 'L' model 210.
Any photos available, and is it salvageable I wonder?
The pilot is reported to have sustained spinal injuries and is 'stable'.
An excellent job & A BIG "WELL DONE" to the RAC Chopper guys, and ALL CONCERNED...
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Good Ending - But Police and Media Ineptitude
Well, I never thought I would see it in print, but the media and a "talking head" has justified low level flying as safer, less to fall! Wow! So all A380's at 50m from now on!
Pilot and passenger survive but trapped for hours - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
Pilot and passenger survive but trapped for hours - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
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Clearly the police do not require much in the way of physics for entry requirements
Mate...if they were higher they may have made it to better ground than the lake!
Sergeant Murray Guerin says the fact the men were flying so close to the ground probably saved their lives.
"The thing that probably has saved them is that they were flying at 50 metres," he said.
"They were pretty close to the ground so it's not that far to fall. Obviously, if you're flying at a couple of hundred feet the impact's going to be greater."
"The thing that probably has saved them is that they were flying at 50 metres," he said.
"They were pretty close to the ground so it's not that far to fall. Obviously, if you're flying at a couple of hundred feet the impact's going to be greater."
Mate...if they were higher they may have made it to better ground than the lake!
Okay I guess to those of us that are aviation savy such statements are mind boggling but we must remember that the uneducated (as in anyone who knows zip about flying) truly believes that the the further ya fall the worse it is & this is true off a ladder for Eg.These people don't know that height is a pilots friend in these situations so even though I too shake my head I can in some ways understand such statements right or wrong. What the Media ought to have learnt by now is to find out from someone suitably qualified BEFORE they speak & that goes for any controlling body (cops) outside of aviation.
As long as the 2 involved will be okay only a laugh or two is left here to be had
As for the engine separating in flight? Gee then perhaps just perhaps being that low was indeed a bonus as having that amount of balance change with 1000's of ft to fall means only one nasty ending. Hypothetical of course
P.S.....'jaba' ya can't get high enuf as far as I am concerned when in a SE
Wmk2
As long as the 2 involved will be okay only a laugh or two is left here to be had
As for the engine separating in flight? Gee then perhaps just perhaps being that low was indeed a bonus as having that amount of balance change with 1000's of ft to fall means only one nasty ending. Hypothetical of course
P.S.....'jaba' ya can't get high enuf as far as I am concerned when in a SE
Wmk2
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Mate...if they were higher they may have made it to better ground than the lake!
A business partner had a fuel tank transfer switch failure in his Cherokee in the early 1980's, and landed on the highway between Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie. All went well with the dead stick landing, until he struck a roadside signpost. The signpost nearly took the wing off the Cherokee, and made a very messy finish to what he thought was going to be a copybook dead stick landing.