Seaplane Crash-lands in Tassie Lake
 

Seaplane crash-lands in lake
From: AAP By Julie Tullberg
February 05, 2006
TEN passengers and a pilot are lucky to be alive tonight after a seaplane lost power and plunged on to a remote lake in Tasmania's west.
After the plane's engine cut out, the pilot alerted air safety authorities of his forced emergency landing into the southern end of Lake Burbury.
On board were were eight people from Victoria and two French passengers, as well as the pilot.
A Tasmanian police spokesman said the emergency landing, at 6.18pm (AEDT), was successful, with everyone on board escaping injury.
Power to the single-engine aircraft was lost at 5.52pm (AEDT) and the aircraft took 26 minutes to descend and land safely on the lake.
The passengers had chartered a scenic flight in Strahan.
The amphibious aircraft, known as a Cessna Caravan, is operated by Wilderness Air in Strahan.
A police spokesman said local ambulance, fire services and SES crew attended and the Westpac rescue helicopter was called in, with a second helicopter on standby.
"Police were at the scene (at the time of the landing) and report that the pilot and passengers are not injured and there is no damage to property," the spokesman said.
"AUSSAR and air safety will be investigating the circumstances surrounding the emergency landing."
Wilderness Air and Queenstown police are transporting the passengers out of Lake Burbury.
A police spokesman said the passengers praised their brave pilot, who landed the plane after a "serious" warning light had been activated.
news.com.au
now that is my sort of glide ratio! :ok: no need for high key, low key :}

26MIN!!!!! Fnck!
Thats not a crash landing, you could do a full instrument appch in that time.
Hell you could find an airport in that time. :eek:

WELL,,,,ERRRR,,,,UMMM,,,,Whatever !!

Whatever the case may be, A job well done :ok:

Smoothie

rmcdonal.......not sure if you have flown floats and by your comment you have not.I,myself do have quite a few hours doing this type of work in the commercial setting.The A/C quoted, as being a caravan,the Cessna 208,is I believe,what they are refering to.

I have flown the A/C on wheels and floats,and for those that have,will agree this is a great piece of equipment,very docile,great handling,a little underpowered when heavy,very durable and a comfortable single pilot A/C in which to earn your living .

Most of the blokes that fly this type would be considered "scud runners" due to the fact that once the s*&t hits the fan,there is not a lot of reaction time or set up time,thus,put her down where you can philosophy

Seeing a float plane upside down in a lake,or trees is not a pretty site indeed,I have seen a few.Personally,I have not been in that position,but my point here is that,and I congratulate the PIC as this was probably his first "real" emergency landing,whenever one is put in this position,can successfully land the A/C,save all lives,and his own........be able to call the misses and kids and tell them he,s a live,have a friendly chat with the Cheif pilot and the CAA,............I reckon he,s done a bloody good job!!!

A cold beer and a handshake would be the order of the day,..well done mate!!!

And the ABC reports:

"Pilot saves 10 passengers in emergency lake landing

Air safety officers are investigating an emergency landing by a small plane on Tasmania's west coast late yesterday.

Police say the Cessna Caravan amphibious aircraft had 10 passengers on board, when its engine lost power.

The plane landed on Lake Burbury, east of Queenstown, without any injuries or damage.

The eight Victorian and two French passengers praised the efforts of the pilot for landing the plane, which is operated by Wilderness Air in Strahan."

One wonders about journalists

pakeha-boy, no I have not flown a 208. before and I wasn't having a go at the pilot or airplane either. I was just impressed with how long it stayed in the air. :} From what Alt would you need to be at to stay up for that long?
And good onya to the pilot :ok:

I think KEvin should have his licence suspended,
He took 26 minutes to land, and NEVER told his passengers that there was an emergency, not like he didn't have time! The passengers should have been ready for impact and have their life jackets out, just in case!
Another report I read said a light came on that meant he had five minutes before the engine stopped. Maybe some other van driver out there can confirm the one light that gives you five mintues before engine stoppage if the fuel light, five minutes left in the hopper tank? So in fact this hero of a pilot ran out of fuel!!
26 minutes gliding at say 500 ft/min? doesn't add up either, was up at 10,000ft? Was the lake at sea level?

Turbo.

Post your source thanks.

this mornings press lists Kevin Peirce as the pilot. He happens to own and operate Wilderness Air; I suggest that if you're going to have an engine caution like this, he's the right person to have driving the bus.
good job well done:ok:

There is a Reservoir Fuel Low warning annunciator - Red. It illuminates when the fuel level in the reservior tank drops to below one half full. It would mean 3 to 5 mins to when the noise stops.
Unfortunately the authorities treat any engine failure from any cause in the C208 statistically as an IFSD and consequently the safety record for the PT6A-114 has deteriorated below the 1 in 100'000 hrs required for SE IFR.
Such incidents have a serious impact on C208 IFR ops approval.
Lets wait for the investigation before applying hero status.

Another Caravan almost bites the dust or mud!
 

Seaplane ditches in lake
Holly Lloyd-McDonald
06feb06

A SEAPLANE taking tourists on a joy flight over Tasmania's wilderness ditched in a remote lake after it lost power last night.

Passengers praised the pilot who landed the plane safely after a warning light had been activated in the cockpit, police said.

Eight of the 10 passengers were Victorians and two were French tourists, police said.

All passengers and the pilot were uninjured, police said.

Power to the single-engine Cessna Caravan was lost at 5.52pm and the plane took 26 minutes to descend and land safely on Lake Burbury.

Police said the pilot, Kevin Pearce, 49, brought the plane down on the hydro-electric lake near Tasmania's west coast after alerting authorities.

"Police were at the scene . . . and report that the pilot and passengers are not injured and there is no damage to property," a Tasmanian police spokesman said.

The Wilderness Air flight left Strahan at 5pm for a scenic flight over the upper Gordon River and Franklin River.

It was about 50 minutes into the 80-minute flight when a warning light indicated danger on the plane's control panel.

Water police and local Queenstown police, ambulance and fire crews, the Westpac rescue chopper and the SES were all dispatched as the plane landed on the lake just east of Queenstown. At 6.18pm, the plane safely landed and the passengers applauded their pilot.

The single-engine aircraft skidded on to a mudflat as police and rescue crews watched from a jetty.

Queenstown's Senior Constable Jayson Taws said as Mr Pearce steered the plane parallel to the lake's surface, he dipped the floats from side to side in the water.

The manoeuvre slowed the plane for a controlled landing.

"He skidded on to a mudflat and the plane came to a halt," Sen-Constable Taws said. "They got out unscathed and then they walked up to the jetty."

Sen-Constable Taws said the passengers marvelled at the pilot's skill and quick thinking.

"They're chuffed. They're loving him at the moment," Sen-Constable Taws said. "They think he's a legend."

He said local pilots were skilled at steering their planes around rugged terrain.

"It's wilderness out here and it's wild country," he said.

The Cessna was chartered from Wilderness Air, of Strahan, which has been operating seaplane tours since 1985.

AusSAR, the national maritime and aviation search and rescue service, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority are investigating.

Wilderness Air and Queenstown police last night took the passengers from Lake Burbury to Strahan.

No surprise to me... my parents went for a ride in the same aircraft at the Horizontal Falls. Their report from a non-aviation perspective were that the operation was a fly-by-nighter. The aircraft literally arrived at the field, with no facilities, no steps and a baptism by fire passenger briefing. An elderly woman twisted her ankle when jumping off the floats because there was no steps. Taxxing around chasing crocodiles, eating up valuable takeoff space, flying through valleys at low level to get into some tight spots to land all sounds fun till something goes wrong! I believe the aircraft also has a questionable history. Their comments were along the lines of "so far away from CASA's eyes; out of mind."

Not sure what the connection is here between Strahan in Tasmania, Carnarvon Gorge in Central QLD., and crocodiles?? :hmm:
Oh, now edited I see, Horizontal Falls, not Carnavon Gorge.

:confused: :confused:

The aircraft was operated for a time in WA on cross-hire.

I think this is the same operator who lost a C185 on the harbour at Strahan a few years back. Seem to recall something a bit strange about that one. It flipped supposedly while taxying for take-off. :rolleyes:

[QUOTE]I congratulate the PIC as this was probably his first "real" emergency landing,

Are we talking about the same bloke?

The C185 flipped due to a leaky pontoon.. bugger!

Yeah, OK, well done, but as a passenger I would have wanted the emergency briefing, thanks. Or at least to know there was a problem.If this had turned to custard, bracing/seatbelts tight etc could've made a big difference.
Only flown a 208 once (awesome machine), the wheeled one descends about 300-400fpm/90kt with the fan feathered. Pretty good.

They never give any problems do yer single engine turbines.
Nah...you can fly around all over the place at night no worries mate! :hmm:

tinpis

You don't know what you're talking about. Single turbine safety is a complex issue, but the bottom line is that in comparing fatalities per 100000 hours from all causes, the record of the factory produced single turbines is virtually indistinguishable from that of turbine twins. If you've got a single turbine, and you want more safety, you're better off putting on a second pilot than a second engine.

Tin,
Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit...so keep up the good work! ;)
Trust you are celebrating Waitangi Day :ok: