In Memory of
 

In memory of two WA blokes who were killed in an MU-2 20 years ago today.

RIP

A good pic of the aircraft involved airliners.net.

Thankyou "drop bear ten"
 

Thankyou for reminding me - I do usually remember but hadn't this time around.

I didn't know Don Ende but did know Chris Little very well as an ex RACWA instructor - he was a very switched on guy who was certainly destined for great things in the aviation world - just in the wrong place at the wrong time and a lot was learnt from that accident and a similar previous accident.

RIP to both.

VH-MLE

Thanks Drop Bear Ten,

Also worked closely with Chris Little and was devastated when I heard the news. I can't believe 20 years have passed so quickly. RIP both...

God 20 yrs.....geee I bet these two guys where here saying that!

'guns' you are indeed correct a Moo2 speared in on App to Tulla rwy 27 ( i think it was) on a night freight run, went in due ice buildup from enroute. I think that was 20 yrs or so ago also. Another Moo2 one night at Tulla also on a freight run 'crashed' for want of another word into a slightly raised concrete fuel pit just off the edge of the tarmac.I believe the plane was damaged quite a lot with collapsed under-cart and wrecked prop. Seems the pilot had his head down and taxied off the paved area in inclement weather at night with the high powered apron lights in his eyes. Embarrassing only.

Wmk2

RIP to the WA guy's and to all that lost their lives in MU2's in Australia.

I ran night freight in MU2's here in Aus in my GA days and lost a colleague in bathurst.
I remember during my endorsment the good gen that my very experienced instructor gave me mostly related to why the aircraft bites and how to avoid getting ugly. Some of the good gen was learnt from your friends and other accidents.

The investigation report is worth reading. Seems the pilot had problems with his instrument flying scan and the radar picture revealed he was never on localiser or glide slope. When he went in he must have been full scale off localiser and full scale fly up on glide slope. He should have gone around a lot earlier when it was obvious the approach was badly un-stabilised. Visibility was limited.

20 years goes by so fast. I was in Port Hedland at the time. If memory serves Don kept up a commentary on the problem all the way in, leading to discovery of the icing problem. Another had gone in not too long before taking out pretty much all the head honchoes from a mining company and it was proving difficult to find the cause.

I believe Chris was on his way to take up a position with Skywest Aviation ( now defunct).

Don was a real gentleman. He is sadly missed in aviation.

This makes me feel 'older'....I taught one of his sons to fly....memories

29 years ago today! Photos below are from Australia Day 2 years ago... RIP Chris & Don...

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....10f5c2f65d.jpg
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....dc67552685.jpg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....cb683cff57.jpg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....393274dff2.jpg

Australia Day today marks 30 years since the horrific VH-MU2 accident that killed two pilots just north of "Meekabloodytharra" - Chris Little & Don Ende. As I indicated in #3 above 10 years ago, Chris was a young guy going places & was in the wrong place at the wrong time on that tragic night getting a lift to Port Hedland for the next chapter of his career. I hadn't met Don Ende before but he was a seasoned & highly regarded BASI accident investigator prior to returning to professional aviation. One of the ironies of this accident was that Don Ende investigated an earlier MU-2 accident in WA some 14 months before...

Here are two satellite photos taken close to the times of the respective accidents & at a first glance, you could be forgiven for thinking they are the same photo...

When I did my C441 endorsement (first pressurised turbine) a number of years ago, my learned teacher said the 2 new things that will "bite" above 10,000ft are ice & pressurisation issues & unfortunately he's been right on the money...

It's a pity our esteemed & supposedly robust regulator is such a reactive organisation & isn't out there educating the new breed of pressurised turbo-prop pilots on these issues because as we all know, history has a very bad habit of repeating itself - particularly in aviation...

RIP Chris & Don - gone, but definitely not forgotten!
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....9704eb2914.png
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....65b0dc9b0c.png

I worked with Don and to me he was a great mentor. He loved the aviation industry and despite having a wonderful career, Don was very down to earth and loved GA. Having finished a distinguished period with BASI, including being in charge, he was very happy to be back flying, and spoke of the very challenging MU2. I can recall exactly where I was when I heard of the accident on ABC radio, and sadly I had a gut feeling Don was in it. He was a very special individual, the likes of whom you are lucky to know, let alone be close to. Not forgotten Don.

Is the C.180 dedicated to Don still flying and if so where is it based.

I did Don Ende's HS 748 conversion at the RAAF No 34 (VIP) Squadron at Canberra circa 1969. He had joined the RAAF with several thousand civil flying hours. A reliable and much liked bloke.

B772: VH-FDH was written off in a crosswind landing accident at Korrumburra a few years back, but it was NOT being flown at the time by its owner (Don's younger brother Jan).

Centarus: You've tickled a memory here, the last time I saw Don was in 1972 when he stepped out of an HS.748 at Flinders Island - it was carrying Lance Barnard. Because of his extensive civil experience, I recall he did an abbreviated Wings course, i.e. little or no Winjeel time, plus the full Vampire course(?).

As you said, a reliable and much liked bloke.

Today's sat pic seems to be a repeat of the 2 sat pics posted in #11, with a cyclone off the north west coast streaming extensive mid level cloud across a large part of WA, generating severe icing conditions...

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....53260d4561.png
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....0f931da336.png

Memories, in my GA days back in the 80's dealt with Don in a matter where I believed and supported a fellow pilot regards an incident in the nor'west, Don provided enough "input" that I had to go back and confirm with my colleague at which point he admitted that "maybe Don's description is more accurate..." or similar.
Fell on my sword to Don, he would have been within rights to have a go but didn't and things were sorted out - but couldn't help thinking that as a youngster in GA a few more with Don's approach wouldn't be a bad thing.

From that one interaction was surprise how sad I was to hear of Don and the MU2 accident.

Off track another that impressed was John Marshall, SA/NT from memory who dropped into the NW for renewals at times, like Don comanded respect IMHO.
Cheers.

Another year passes by, making it 34 years now since that horrific night near Meekatharra on 26th January,1990...

RIP Chris & Don - gone, but not forgotten...