Fears for missing aircraft in Far North Queensland
 

August 17, 2007 12:20pm www.couriermail.com.au

RESCUERS are stepping up an air-sea rescue operation for a light plane and its pilot missing in far north Queensland since yesterday.
The male pilot was due to land his single engine fixed-wing turbo prop in Tully at 4pm (AEST) yesterday, one hour after taking off from Ingham, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said today.
AMSA spokeswoman Tracey Jiggins said the pilot had taken off in bad weather.
"Due to inclement weather and heavy cloud cover, it is anticipated that the pilot would have either tracked between Halifax on the eastern side of Hinchinbrook Island or via the Cardwell Channel following the road to reach Tully," she said.
Three helicopters are searching between Ingham and Tully while police carry out ground searches.
Two boats are also combing Hinchinbrook Island for any signs of the plane.
Another three fixed-wing aircraft are expected to join the search later today.
The aircraft is described as an eight-seater Fletcher, white in colour with two blue horizontal stripes along the fuselage.
Anyone with information should contact AMSA's rescue coordination centre on 1800 815 257.

Gee, sounds like the PAC 750XL demo.

Sounds like PAC06-800 Cresco used for parachute drops in that area. VH-XMN.

Hope all turns out well.

What it most probably is, is the white Skydive Cairns Cresco VH-XMN

i'm pretty sure that's JQE - and i'm pretty sure that was parked outside PAC today.

yes, JQE was the one I was thinking of...... when I flew it, it was wearing the blue and white colors. I thought it was still here.

It's the white cresco.

Please come home safe. Just be parked in a bloody cane field somewhere ... I don't want to lose another great character like you ... :sad:

This is its green brother.
http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n...6/IMG_1393.jpg
Hope all are found OK, they are fully equipped for IFR.

If flying from Ingham to Tully, it must be coming out of maintenance.

Engineer
 

Mate, it is the white Cresco, VH-XMN, no word on any findings, just know it has disappearred, i'm hoping its parked in another cane field somewhere, pilot was a good man, he shoulda stayed here

engineer
 

that was VH-XMN, 100% sure, it had been in for maintenance, unscheduled. The maintenance performed was on the nose gear, nothing pertaining to flight. Weather was bad, pilot may have felt commercial pressure. Hope the Hungarian is Ok, He's a good man

aviation
 

VH-XMN is missing, a good example of non-pilots making calls they know nothing about

Hope everybody is ok

I know you could land a Fletcher in the top of a rainforest and as long as the bloody thing didnt fall down on top of you as you climbed out you would be right as rain.

Yeah, equipped for IFR, decent GPS (colour moving map)...however, Tully has no navaids whatsoever to navigate to and I doubt many pilots flying the cresco for parachute drops do carry any IFR plates for Ingham or Innisfail. Has been confirmed its XMN and that dutch guy is a top bloke...hopefully sheltering in the cresco on a field somewhere.

Hi Engineer,
Just to clarify, i was not for a second suggesting anything negative regarding the maintenance organisation at Ingham, infact, as a pilot i found them to be excellent engineers, even browny :).

Found. Not good. Bugger :{:{:{

RIP good buddy. Forever flying ...

Huge thanks to everyone who helped search.

very sad news indeed.

http://www2.skynews.com.au/news/article.aspx?id=184950

Any details of where it was found? Indications of what might have happened?

Can be a very treacherous place to fly VFR. I flew down the Hinchinbrook Channel at 500' a week or so ago in very poor weather. The terrain alert in the GNS430 was going ga-ga.

Dr :cool:

Lots of talk going on, of course, but at the moment facts only if that's ok.

Found near Murray Falls, so north of the Channel. Just to the left of the highway. The terrain rises pretty steeply on that side of the road. There'd been a fire, and was about a 40 m fire gash in the vegetation. The weather has been well described already.

So close to home ...

Rest in peace mate! You were a gentleman... :{:{

Very sad news. One of the gentlemen of the skies. RIP.