Pilot survives crash into Lake Hume

[Zorro Polilla]

A pilot has survived a plane crash on Lake Hume, in northern Victoria, after which he had to swim to safety.
Ambulance Victoria spokesman Stephen Ford said paramedics received a call at 3.31pm today that a light plane had crashed into the weir on the lake, on the Victoria-New South Wales border.
Paramedics treated the man at Ludlows Reserve at Ebden, near Wodonga.

"We responded road ambulances, including road ambulance and a helicopter, towards the scene," Mr Ford told 3AW.

"The first crew found a single occupant had made it to shore and that person has been transported to hospital in Wodonga for observation at this point.

Read more: Pilot survives crash on Lake Hume

[Allan L]

A Saphire ultralight by the look of it.

Pilot lucky to survive ultra-light crash - ABC Goulburn Murray - Australian Broadcasting Corporation

[VH-XXX]

If it had retracts he would have been laughing as the Sapphire is a great shape for a float plane. Great day for a swim today but he took it a little too far....

[Hydromet]

Also an 80 yo lady glider pilot crashed in northern Victoria today at the world championships. She is OK, minor injuries.

[Al Fentanyl]

From the news footage there was an engine, so a powered glider - wonder why it crashed?

[VH-XXX]

Maybe she had a Nanna nap?

(ps: apparently she was caught in a downdraught and pirouetted on the wing to avoid a house that had a woman and two children on the porch. Luckily the woman and children ran to her rescue.)

[Tankengine]

Al,
More powered gliders have problems starting engines to avoid paddock landings than non powered gliders have simply landing.

[Super Cecil]

I think I read somewhere it was a Dragonfly, a Steve Coen design? Built as a tug not a glider.

[Pinky the pilot]

at the world championships

National Comps more likely.

[VH-XXX]

Just a quick one to clarify, there were 3 seperate crashes over the last few days:

1. The DragonFly Tug at Dubbo on the way to the champs with EFATO.

2. The Glider with 80 Yr old female UK pilot that priouetted on her wing after a downdraught.

3. The Sapphire ultralight that crashed into Lake Hume after allegedly flying low.

[Lasiorhinus]

Originally Posted by VH-XXX

3. The Sapphire ultralight that crashed into Lake Hume after allegedly flying low.

Going out on a limb here, but I'd suspect the crashing occured during the time the aircraft was at a low height, not afterwards.

[compressor stall]

Well when hit the water it had stopped flying, so I guess that was after flying low. [/pedant]

[fixa24]

Captured: 'Buzzing' before Hume crash - Local News - News - General - The Border Mail

No alleged about it really. How you gonna explain that mister?

[VH-XXX]

Thanks for the link. Photo copied here to brighted up the colours in the thread.



Is it a crime to have fun these days Seems it is. 15-20 years ago you might have got away with this kind of thing but not these days with 95% of the population and their iPhones.

[j3pipercub]

Exactly what would you have been able to get away with xxx? The low flying or the crashing?

[flywatcher]

The mind boggles. How much longer will their regulators accept this behaviour.

[VH-XXX]

Exactly what would you have been able to get away with xxx? The low flying or the crashing?

Given that the exact same aircraft was possibly nearly being flown 20 years ago, certainly not the crashing The low flying part. (Not saying that it was any more legal 20 years ago, just saying that you were far more likely to get away with it).

How much longer will their regulators accept this behaviour.

They don't, and they never did Flywatcher.

At a guess, the pilots certificate will be immediately revoked, their membership with RA-Aus cancelled permanently (for bringing RA-Aus into disrepute) and the information will be forwarded to CASA for further regulatory action, which in this instance could equate to a string of low flying related charges of no less than 50 demerit points ($5,500inc GST in fines?) and possibly up to a 2 year jail term if anything else pops up. Not somewhere I'd like to be right now.

RA-Aus pilots need to all realise if they don't already, that whilst you operate under RA-Aus, you are still 100% operating under CASA and it's full regulatory powers. The RA-Aus involvement merely only give an excemption to some of the CASA requirements around aircraft type and licence, however you are still bound by the same CAO's & CAR's.

In actual fact, by being an RA-Aus certificate holder, you need to comply with all CASA CAO's and CAR's ... AND ... the RA-Aus operations manual. You also need to know which takes priority over the other. It's no-where near as simple as just thinking or saying "those RA-Aus guys can do whatever they can get away with it" .... far from it.

(PS: This is in no way RA-Aus bashing towards the organisation or it's members - I'm merely pointing out that both the regulatory systems apply simultaneously here)

[Jabawocky]

I am sure that John Quadrio will be pleased to know that he gets hung out to dry by the iphone evidence of a criminal and compulsive liar, doing his job safely and within the bounds of his machines limitations, and this guy will get bugger all.

Time will tell.......No doubt many will be watching this and the Ferris Wheel job.

[ChrisJ800]

80 year old glider pilot accident

Glider pilot, 81, swerved to avoid hitting house with children | News.com.au

has a link to an article on it. Seems she ground looped after a paddock landing. Anyone have any more info as Im a former UK glider pilot living in Oz?

[metalman2]

The mind boggles. How much longer will their regulators accept this behaviour.

wasn't that long ago they were restricted to a few hundred feet altitude, low flying was all they were allowed to do ! Of course chasing speed boats has always been wrong!