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-   -   Airvan crash on Flinders Island (https://www.pprune.org/pacific-general-aviation-questions/430699-airvan-crash-flinders-island.html)

slice 18th Oct 2010 08:17

So basically what we have here is CFIT from VFR into IMC. Miraculous anyone survived after seeing the wreckage site.:eek:

Jabawocky 18th Oct 2010 08:20

Hmmmmmmmm

That says a lot :eek:


Lucky they got away so cheaply!
x 10E6

ForkTailedDrKiller 18th Oct 2010 08:41

IFR in a SE piston aircraft is way, way, way safer than venturing into the no-man's land that lies between VFR and IFR.

Forget St Mary - it is a REAL miracle that everyone walked away from this.

Dr :8

cficare 18th Oct 2010 10:12

Have too agree Doc..."The Examiner" had 3 pages of it today...headline "Pilot a Hero".

VH-XXX 18th Oct 2010 10:18


So basically what we have here is CFIT from VFR into IMC. Miraculous anyone survived after seeing the wreckage site.http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/sr...milies/eek.gif
You are essentially correct, it was "controlled" flight into terrain, but not of the normal kind. It was a "conscious" decision to put it down as there were no other options. (that is a whole other topic of discussion)

If it was a CFIT in the normal sense there probably would have been zero surviviors.

It would seem that putting it down was the only option available to the pilot. We could debate all day how we all would have done things differently, but that's what happened.

skylane 18th Oct 2010 10:58

Having spent a lot of my younger days flying in that area, both VFR and IFR, the question is why did he finish up where he did, when the direct track Lady Barron - Bridport is over the southern tip of Cape Barren Island. In conditions of low cloud, we always tracked coastal through the Strait between Flinders and Cape Barren. From the TV footage, the aircraft appears to be well west of the direct track and up in the foothills.

VH-XXX 18th Oct 2010 11:08

Disorientation is a funny thing ain't it!

Sue Ridgepipe 18th Oct 2010 11:46


It would seem that putting it down was the only option available to the pilot.
How about not taking off in the first place?

Jabawocky 18th Oct 2010 11:53

XXX seems to know a few things about this prang, and yes he may have done the right thing in the end by putting it gently into the bush, but lets recap my words shall we.


and yes he may have done the right thing in the end
Well had he done the right thing to begin with he would not have had to do anything else!

The end was not all that further away either! :uhoh:

PPRuNeUser0182 18th Oct 2010 11:55

From 'The Examiner' online:
I'm no hero, says crash pilot - Local News - News - General - The Examiner Newspaper


I'm no hero, says crash pilot
18 Oct, 2010 08:22 AM

FLINDERS ISLAND pilot Gordon Rorison claims he is not a hero after he and six passengers survived a terrifying crash- landing of his plane on the island on Friday.

The 63-year-old pilot said yesterday that the passengers were heroic for remaining calm in the crisis.

"It's not a word I accept or I want to be called," Mr Rorison said.

But some of his passengers are not so sure. several said yesterday, that without his flying skills the outcome may have been very different.

Passenger Sarah Mackinnon praised Mr Rorison.

"The pilot was really focused, he did an incredible job," she said.

Fellow passenger Jo Walsh agreed.

"We were all gobsmacked and could not believe seven of us had walked away with only bruises and bumps," she said.

Flinders Deputy Mayor Michael Grimshaw said it was a "bloody miracle" all seven survived.

fanning 18th Oct 2010 11:57

AO-2010-080

Interesting wording ... "After inadvertently entering cloud, the aircraft collided with high terrain"

My impression from the story first was that the pilot chose to land there after running out of options ... ?

The locals have continued to use charter organisations over the regular service (Sharp Airlines now?) for many years ..., I was under the impression that this operator was previously under scrutiny for brining a passenger or two on the odd mail run ... or maybe that was the previous operator that operated from Bridport ?

For those interested - Mount Razorback - Map of Mount Razorback in Tasmania - Bonzle Digital Atlas of Australia

anothertwit 18th Oct 2010 14:08

There is an old saying, " a superior pilot is one who uses his/her superior judgment to avoid the need to use his/her superior flying skills"

Another oldie that suits is "I would rather be on the ground whinging that i wanted to be flying than the other way round!" :ok:

If you fly around the Strait for long enough you will eventually get caught but I would bet my lefty that not even the seagulls were flying that day on Flinders. They should not have taken off. End of story! :ugh:

AIREHEAD 18th Oct 2010 19:40

Dunno about you, but this whole incident is reminding me of another island crash last year. Both involved a CFIT where all the occupants walked or swam away, and then both pilots were proclaimed heros by the the press. But the truth in both incidents will be seen to be extremley poor judgement and airmanship. Can't wait to read both ATSB reports

tasdevil.f27 22nd Oct 2010 07:11

Seems to have stayed intact pretty well. The wings were removed before it was lifted out of the bush.

http://www.examiner.com.au/multimedi...ull/968250.jpg

PPRuNeUser0182 22nd Oct 2010 07:47

tasdevil.f27:

How extraordinarily LUCKY could you be. :confused::uhoh:

VH-XXX 22nd Oct 2010 23:35

That should buff out ok :\

That wreckage is certainly not a result of unintentional CFIT, it is in very good shape considering. You can piece together a little more about what happened based on the wreckage.

Fly-by-Desire 23rd Oct 2010 03:32


That wreckage is certainly not a result of unintentional CFIT, it is in very good shape considering. You can piece together a little more about what happened based on the wreckage.
What could you possibly tell from that picture :confused:

The Green Goblin 23rd Oct 2010 03:36


What could you possibly tell from that picture
It's missing it's wings and landing gear, and that it probably won't fly again :D

VH-XXX 23rd Oct 2010 04:51

Even a blind man could tell by feel that that aircraft did not "crash" into trees in the true sense. It was a "controlled" landing into the tops with full flap at stall speed.

If you look at the pic from when the airvan hit the hangar a couple of months ago you'll get more of an idea of the damage associated with CFIT.

cavok123 3rd Nov 2010 21:44

Word is it that Casa are claiming that the pilot is a 'hero' and that this accident is being swept under the carpet.


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