Seneca Does 'Wheels Up' @ JT
 

Perth Radio 6PR reporting that a Seneca has done a 'wheels-up' at JT this arvo, just before 3.30pm.
Some 'minor injuries' reported by the radio station.

That is all.....:ok:

Should we request an international investigative bureau and regulator come over to examine the damage and causal factors?

Because as sure as a Politicians nose points at a trough our CASA and ATSB aren't capable of doing it!!

What's the bet the pilot was just one of thousands of flying school students who was taught "Undercarriage down and locked" on the before landing checks in his single engine fixed gear Cessna or Warrior? Just because maybe one day you will fly a retractable and get used to that check...

A37575 :ugh:

Must be the same school that taught them to land on the grass instead of the runway.... just in case the wheels were up!

Give it a rest!

Was at there recently, a lot of flying school activity, many foreign students.

So, Gobbledock lives in Perth, not Allllaaaabammaaa! :}

Gear was stuck up:

Plane belly-lands at Jandakot - The West Australian

In a Seneca 1? C'mon!!

Fires etc got there after they had landed so if the gear was stuck up I'm wondering why they didn't go out of the circuit and hold somewhere until the fires had arrived?

Im sure they had a good reason, just seems a bit odd. Glad all are OK.

Strange...
 

How does the gear get stuck up in a PA34?! Slow to below 85kts and pull the red knob. The gear in a Seneca is held up by hydraulic pressure, with an electrically operated pump. Pulling the knob relieves pressure and allows it to fall free.

Still, good result that no body got hurt and the plane looks like it can be returned to service. The PA34 has skid rails along the underside just for that purpose, so it should come good with a little work.

Skid rails? You think the lower fuselage strakes are there for wheels-up landing protection...? Saints preserve us... :rolleyes::ugh:

Perhaps too many knobs in the cockpit was the issue?

Love Doctor - From the POH -

"The landing gear is designed to extend even in the event of hydraulic failure. Sine the gear is held in the retracted posisition by hydraulic pressure, should the hydraulic system fail for any reason, gravity will allow the gear to extend."

I was not saying it is impossible, but I was expressing my amazement at what chain of mechanical failures could lead to such a situation. Having had experience with PA34's over the years, I was surprised to see this come about. For both the hydralic system to fail, AND the emergency extention to fail, that's pretty unlucky, considering it's just a cable that pulls a PRV in the hydraulic system.

Remoak - Maybe I should have made myself clearer. It's not all they are there for, but having seen the results on a Seneca wheels up where the disconnect in the landing gear system was seated in the left seat, they are certainly strong enough and thick enough to withstand such an occurance with minimum damage to the underside of the plane. I've even seen one proped up on them in the hanger.

Looks like one of the fleet from Air Australia :yuk: I guess good old chuck will be looking for a new META instructor soon!

Been there - done that. Even the emergency hydraulic relief system will not help if the bolt attaching the centreing damper to the nose leg is put in the wrong (counter intuitive) way - this jams the nose leg in the up position and nothing will make it drop. In fact I think there is a requirement to have a placard on the nose leg to that effect to check the bolt is in the correct (upside down) way.
Interesting to know if the aircraft was just out of maintenance or had work done on the nose leg recently.
Otherwise the retractable system on the Seneca, Lance and Arrow is pretty fool proof in terms of getting it down.

Wheels Up

I know Perth Now is certainly no oracle for accident investigation but this article suggests the problem existed before they landed, as opposed to somebody forgetting to lower the gear.

Gold - the article suggests a problem existed before landing...

Same article also mentions something about ambo's being at jt at the same time as a coincidence...

Hmm, well informed journo there, better get GT on the case...

Hopefully though ESY is finally laid to rest and replaced with something where the special landing gear knobby lever works...

The mile high club punters have been deprived of a valuable service!
http://images.watoday.com.au/2012/03...wide-420x0.jpg

Perhaps they also forgot to return a passenger to her original upright position:
http://images.watoday.com.au/2012/03...le_bed_non.jpg

Seneca I...... Definately the easier way to land it!