Christchurch Cherokee on fire?
 

Rumour just in of a cherokee catching on fire after landing at Christchurch....

No injuries after light aircraft crash in Christchurch | NATIONAL

Bit more than a rumour if it's on the TV news. It must be true. They've got an image of the back of an ambulance to prove it.

Mmm, that's one well done Cherokee...
Plane crashes in Banks Peninsula - New Zealand news on Stuff.co.nz

If you read the report in The Press it appears that there was nothing wrong with the aircraft; they were practising emergency landings and just happened to clip a power line.

What I want to know is if it is common practice for trainee pilots at the Canterbury Aero Club to fly almost to ground level when they are practicing emergency landings!? Why?

Heard from someone it was EBW.

I was also a little surprised to hear that they were conducting PFL's quite so close to the ground, obviously with an intention to land. Source didn't think it was one of their older instructors & quite apart from the legalities of it I understood the Canterbury Aero Club were quite keen on their members keeping away from the ground - special rules in excess of CAA regs etc? Or was it a flight test with examiner o/b, or even a strip down there somewhere we don't about (could be useful to know)?

How long will it be out for maintenance do you think?

:}

If it was EBW I'm sure the club isn't happy - nice and new aircraft. Was kinda pride of the fleet along with LJC and the other glass a/c. Wing construction certainly looks like a warrior or archer rather than a -140. Could also be EBS - that thing was always a dog.

@ Plane & Antsl - In my time at CAC ops were quite often conducted down to a very low level (below tree height) in forced landing practice, was good training but some would say that an accident like this would be inevitable. Very strict rules though with regards to solo, no ops below 500' without an instructor on board, seemed let the instructors have a fairly liberal interpretation of Part 91.311 (c) and what constitutes a bone fide purpose for operating below 500'. I have to note this wasn't just instructors, in my CPL flight test I went around in the flare... With a CAA examiner on board...

Anyway good to see that the guys got out without serious injury, with any luck the CAA won't come down on them like a ton of bricks...

be a struggle to find a school or aeroclub that wont go so low.

touching the wheels is not uncommon either.

A lick of paint and some speed tape and it'll be right in no time. :ok:

Really? Easy to see if you'll get into a padock long before then, and certainly before below tree/powerline heights.

Unless its at a bonafide strip then theres not much excuse.

Maybe an Ag pilot would be good enough to share their view on the wisdom of this so that someone may read it before killing themselves and their student?