Aircraft down on Lake Frome
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Aircraft down on Lake Frome
An aircraft has made a forced landing on Lake Frome in South Australia's Far North. VH-HVG - MAULE MT-7-260 Super Rocket. 2 POB, all okay apparently. Rescue efforts are under way from Arkaroola Village.
DF.
DF.
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It's a shame that the Maule wasn't closer to Beverley Camp (YBEE) as there's a rather impressive bitumen strip there. (Although they're not particularly welcoming of itinerant aircraft there..)
(I wonder if they ran out of fuel because they weren't running lean of peak
). Seriously,I hope all are OK and the aircraft is undamaged and recoverable. Balcanoona is another great strip. Glad to hear Doug and the mighty 207 are on the job again. I guess we will hear the details of what happened soon enough.
An early morning flight from Broken Hill to Arkaroola via Balcanoona over Frome is one of the worlds best scenic flights.
). Seriously,I hope all are OK and the aircraft is undamaged and recoverable. Balcanoona is another great strip. Glad to hear Doug and the mighty 207 are on the job again. I guess we will hear the details of what happened soon enough.An early morning flight from Broken Hill to Arkaroola via Balcanoona over Frome is one of the worlds best scenic flights.
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Haha Dougie has probably already analysed the situation, accurately worked out the cause and submitted his findings on email by now. Love his work!
And you are right.
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Many moons ago in my previous life as an FSO, I was stationed at Leigh Creek in around '86 or 87 and a similar accident occurred. Got a mayday for engine failure of a single, but cant recall the callsign. Landed on Lake Frome and sat there for 6 months (the aircraft that is, not the pilot).
The National Safety Council (remember them?) flew their dirty big Dornier chopper up and lifted the aircraft off the salt bed onto the shore of the lake. They fitted a new prop and flew it out.
The National Safety Council (remember them?) flew their dirty big Dornier chopper up and lifted the aircraft off the salt bed onto the shore of the lake. They fitted a new prop and flew it out.
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Well it was a big chopper and my recollection is that it was described to me as a Dornier (spelling?). As well, six or seven NSC freeloaders all slept on my living room floor and ate me out of house and home.
Thinking about it the sequence of events was that they lifted the plane off the lake when they found it. They were called in to conduct the search after he went down. It then sat on the lake shore until it was flown out. NSC turned up at LEC with the chopper and a fixed wing twin.
Thinking about it the sequence of events was that they lifted the plane off the lake when they found it. They were called in to conduct the search after he went down. It then sat on the lake shore until it was flown out. NSC turned up at LEC with the chopper and a fixed wing twin.
Bell 412 was about the biggest rotary wing aircraft operated by the NSC.
(Dornier did actually manufacture helicopters for a while, but they weren't powerful enough to lift much more than the skin off an orange.)
(Dornier did actually manufacture helicopters for a while, but they weren't powerful enough to lift much more than the skin off an orange.)
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Robbovic, the Dornier would have been the fixed wing twin. The chopper was most likely a Bell 412.
I can remember a couple of times when they were in the area for searches/rescues before I started work at the airport. I can also remember one of the 228's turning up for refuelling after I started work out there & after the NSCA had gone belly up. I remember thinking to myself I hope I'm going to get paid for the fuel because I knew their carnet cards were on the blacklist. The pilot must have read my mind because he said it's okay I have cash!
DF.
I can remember a couple of times when they were in the area for searches/rescues before I started work at the airport. I can also remember one of the 228's turning up for refuelling after I started work out there & after the NSCA had gone belly up. I remember thinking to myself I hope I'm going to get paid for the fuel because I knew their carnet cards were on the blacklist. The pilot must have read my mind because he said it's okay I have cash!
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Aha...yes that's it. Thanks for the correction. All I know is they were kitted up to the eyeballs and we were wondering at the time "where do they get the money for that?" Answer was they didn't apparently.
Thanks for the correction. All I know is they were kitted up to the eyeballs and we were wondering at the time "where do they get the money for that?" Answer was they didn't apparently.
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Bell 412 was about the biggest rotary wing aircraft operated by the NSC.
Didn't like it much!
Especially when he whoppa whoppa'd from above the pick up point high on the mountainside to a point over the valley then several thousand feet below while I was still hanging in a sling that reminds me of the garden swing in my childhood.
Kaz
Ha! It didn't kill you Kaz, so it evidently made you stronger!