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-   -   DHC Beaver down in Hawkesbury (https://www.pprune.org/pacific-general-aviation-questions/603677-dhc-beaver-down-hawkesbury.html)

zzuf 31st Dec 2017 07:20

FAR CU
Thanks for your post - that report was unknown to me.
Like you, I spent plenty of time flying floatplanes around Pittwater, Sydney Harbour and the Hawkesbury.
Our paths probably crossed at Barrenjoey Boat House.
That area certainly has resulted in many floatplane accidents.
I was working at the Boatshed (not flying) the day of the last fatal accident.
Very tragic situation.

Lead Balloon 31st Dec 2017 07:28


Originally Posted by Nuasea (Post 10006135)
Wasn't there a similar accident a few years ago?

You may be thinking of Cessna 185E VH-HTS operated by South Pacific Seaplanes. 5 fatalities on 26 July 1998.
https://www.atsb.gov.au/media/24994/...802830_001.pdf

FAR CU 31st Dec 2017 08:04

zzuf - we were probably hoeing into one of Carmel's great hamburgers at the time. VH-HTS, the C185, used to be with Wilderness Air at Strahan in Tasmania. The principal there was one KP. I christened him Captain Sudden as he sometimes threw his seaplanes around like a dodgem car driver. When he was asked if HTS stood for anything in particular, he point to the battery and jumper leads in the luggage compartment and said -
"Gees yeah . . .. HARD TO START."

The wreckage of HTS at Berowra was notable in that the scatter was closely confined, pointing right off to a stall/ spin being the end result, but really not the prime cause at all. (There were many
other earlier factors that in hindsight pointed to a calamity in the making.)

Jerry Springer 31st Dec 2017 08:18


Originally Posted by FAR CU (Post 10006186)
zzuf KP.

Anyone know what he is up to these days, just out of curiosity? Maybe send a PM rather than hijack this tragic thread...

Nuasea 31st Dec 2017 08:19


Originally Posted by Lead Balloon (Post 10006153)
You may be thinking of Cessna 185E VH-HTS operated by South Pacific Seaplanes. 5 fatalities on 26 July 1998.
https://www.atsb.gov.au/media/24994/...802830_001.pdf

That's the one, thank you.

Trim Stab 31st Dec 2017 09:12


Originally Posted by cowl flaps (Post 10006073)
Deep water too. The police divers had twin tanks on.

Not deep - only 13m. Police recovery divers routinely use twin tanks with isolator valve and double regulators as redundancy as they often need to operate in poor visibility and solo.

Heathrow Harry 31st Dec 2017 09:20

from BBC


Police divers have recovered six bodies from the wreckage, which is lying in 13m (43 ft) of water. The identity of those aboard has not yet been released. Local media said the aircraft was from scenic flight company Sydney Seaplanes.Investigators do not yet know why the plane crashed.

Acting Superintendent Michael Gorman said the "recovery operation continues" at the site where the single-engine aircraft crashed.
Unconfirmed reports said the casualties included an 11-year-old boy, the pilot and four British nationals. The British Foreign Office said: "Officials from the British consulate are in contact with local authorities in relation to a seaplane accident near Sydney. Staff are ready to provide consular assistance."

A woman at the scene said the weather had been "a bit bumpy" but "nothing to be concerned about".

An eyewitness, Myles Baptiste, told the broadecaster 9News that the plane was 500m (1640ft) from him when it hit the water.
"It made a tight right-hand turn and as it actually turned around, the wings dipped and it nosedived straight into the water," he said.
It is not yet clear whether divers will be able to recover the seaplane itself on Sunday or will have to wait until Monday

Jerry Springer 31st Dec 2017 09:40


Originally Posted by Heathrow Harry (Post 10006257)
from BBC

"It made a tight right-hand turn and as it actually turned around, the wings dipped and it nosedived straight into the water," he said.

Low and slow, turned and stalled...at least that’s what it sounds like. To go straight into the water and submerge doesn’t sound like an an landing incident. Terribly sad..

Rightbase 31st Dec 2017 11:43

Dangerous Speculation.
 

Originally Posted by Jerry Springer (Post 10006281)
Low and slow, turned and stalled...at least that’s what it sounds like. To go straight into the water and submerge doesn’t sound like an an landing incident. Terribly sad..

Didn't see low reported.
Didn't see slow reported.
For completeness, didn't see right float support failure reported either.

Jerry Springer 31st Dec 2017 11:59


Originally Posted by Rightbase (Post 10006366)
Didn't see low reported.
Didn't see slow reported.
For completeness, didn't see right float support failure reported either.

Witness said it entered a turn then nose dived. Normally that’s low and slow, though of course something might have broken, time will tell.
Float support failure has nothing to do with entering a nose dive from a turn, no idea what you mean by that. Anyhow, tragic loss for reasons as yet unknown.
Fly safe everyone!

601 31st Dec 2017 12:03


...it's not GA though. They're a commercial operator.
Words fail me.

megan 31st Dec 2017 12:17

Unconfirmed reports said the casualties included an 11-year-old boy, the pilot and four Britons.

https://www.theguardian.com/australi...or-light-plane

Happy New Year seems to stick in the throat.

Mike Flynn 31st Dec 2017 12:46

UK Guardian newspaper running this

Four Britons are feared dead after a seaplane crashed near Sydney in Australia.

New South Wales police said divers had recovered six bodies from the scene and that an investigation was under way to identify the victims and determine the cause of the crash.

There were six people on board the plane, including the pilot, when it crashed into the Hawkesbury river near Cowan, north of Sydney, at about 3.10pm (0410 GMT) on Sunday, police said.

Acting Superintendent Michael Gorman said the “recovery operation continues” at the site where the single-engine aircraft crashed.

Unconfirmed reports said the casualties included an 11-year-old boy, the pilot and four Britons.

The Foreign Office was unable to confirm any details of the crash but said British officials were in contact with authorities in Sydney. An FCO spokeperson said: “Officials from the British consulate are in contact with local authorities in relation to a seaplane accident near Sydney. Staff are ready to provide consular assistance.”

Eyewitness Myles Baptiste told the broadcaster 9News that the plane was 500 metres from him when it hit the water.

“It made a tight right-hand turn and as it actually turned around, the wings dipped and it nosedived straight into the water,” he said.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau announced it would investigate the incident.

Local media said the aircraft was from scenic flight company Sydney Seaplanes. It was believed to have been travelling from the Cottage Point Inn to Rose Bay, a police spokesman said.

The company, which has been operating for 80 years, provides flights above and around some of Sydney’s most popular tourist sites including the opera house, the Harbour Bridge, Pittwater and the Hawkesbury river region.

Jerry Springer 31st Dec 2017 13:38

UK Guardian:
"The company, which has been operating for 80 years”
Err, ok...

FAR CU 31st Dec 2017 14:12


Float support failure has nothing to do with entering a nose dive from a turn
come to proone for a flurry of brilliant insights into the complexities of aerodynamics/structures. plus fatuous puerile responses. (old mate said to stop stirring the possum. then again - it can be a national pastime - a past-master being the late lamented John Clarke.)

FAR CU 31st Dec 2017 14:44


Happy New Year seems to stick in the throat.
in many throats in fact

the late Ted Sly (a man with much wisdom of the wing deep in his bones)
used to put it down to - THE LUCK OF THE DRAW

Jerry Springer 31st Dec 2017 14:45


Originally Posted by FAR CU (Post 10006482)
come to proone for a flurry of brilliant insights into the complexities of aerodynamics/structures. plus fatuous puerile responses. (old mate said to stop stirring the possum. then again - it can be a national pastime - a past-master being the late lamented John Clarke.)

My response was in reference to an earlier post regarding a witness report of the plane nose diving out of a turn. Sure, if you’re floats fell off, or alike, it would screw with your aerodynamics! But I bet in this incident Float attachment failure will have nothing to do with the a/c entering a nose dive from a turn.
Anyhow, let’s wait for the report.

Capt Fathom 31st Dec 2017 14:48

Having flown floats, I find it quite unusual that nothing floated, especially the floats. So much buoyancy in those compartments! :(

Glassy Water 31st Dec 2017 14:57


Originally Posted by Capt Fathom (Post 10006504)
Having flown floats, I find it quite unusual that nothing floated, especially the floats. So much buoyancy in those compartments! :(

I agree - astonishing really !

FAR CU 31st Dec 2017 15:00

Presnell lost his Beaver VH-NAQ blown away off Sudbury Cay
The only bit ever recovered was one float found later by a fisherman,
washed up on the Reef.


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