Archie Bargy, yes I know what the register says. What is aircraft in the photo link I referred to?
CC

In Oz (as in many other parts of the world) after strikeoff and a certain elapsed time registrations are re-issued to new aircraft. Here is a photo of the correct plane:
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....7655d54403.jpg

The Navajo was struck off the register sometime around 2006 (there is a photo of in on A-net in a rather derelict state at that time).

Not sure when the 404 was exported to Australia, probably about 15 years ago. It was previously P2-ALG ex Airlink PNG. It’s ex sister PNG ship P2-ALK is now at the Goroka Aero Club in the kids playground.

Condolences to everyone effected by this tragedy. It’s very sad and hopefully we will all be able to learn from this accident.

The media stuffing up again, suggesting near cyclonic WX,
And it seems that it quite calm.


https://i.imgur.com/NMMlIO9.jpg https://i.imgur.com/ZYzAQF9.jpg

In all fairness that was from the Superintendent they were interviewing and conditions around the area don't look great really and he had probably only been barely briefed by his own people. Also in regards to media using a photo of OZO from a previous life, I mean really people? Is this what we're going to get hung up on?

Anyone with local knowledge guess why a Mayor would say this? It’s like ‘everyone knows’. Is it really that difficult?

FWIW he corroborated the police’s account

Aside the lack of alternates available in close proximity, I have been there, and didn’t find it challenging. But that’s coming from someone who trained up here, someone from Sydney might find it a challenge. The only challenges I have seen others face in this part of the world is decision making. Go or No Go. If in doubt, they normally go. A locally trained pilot up this way might think differently.

If he is referring to flying in monsoon season well that’s no different to the rest of the region. That’s a PIC call.

To end up in the sand dunes where they did, would potentially indicate they were on Base for 30.

The wind was dead and showers recorded within the previous window was indicative of clouds. However, IMC seems to be a given going off that forecast.

Look, I’m not claiming it’s IMC, the forecast essentially gives us that data, I’m not claiming it engineering. It could be anything. But, if it’s IMC, we have an issue here, a growing problem trending in the wrong direction.

Unfortunately, not the first disaster at Lockhart River. 2005 Metroliner accident report.

https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications...200501977.aspx

Not to nit pick, but the BOM data suggests 8.6mm between 8am and 10am if I'm reading it correctly.

Another sad day and my thoughts go to all those impacted. :ouch:

IFR into terrain
 

Came across to see what the brains trust have said..
Same old same old.
Experienced pilot
Bad Weather
Get home itis
What went wrong
We will hear in a year or so.
And the world goes on.

Evidence everywhere of slack training performance and experience.
Despite CASA hammering Human Condition at the seminars.

If you dont believe just check out the flight radar tracks of those trainees shooting the YHML NDB approach and compare it with the plate!
truncated half baked approaches that would not pass a test and would be a fail.
so where has the standard gone with all you ifr jocks?

Qualified with your low level annual circling approach and not broken the minima lately?

We are still shaken by Mangalore and every time death rate seems to go up.

Like with the two Angel Flight crashes in my region all we get is seminars saying DONT!

Haven't flown GA for yonks. But as a poorly paid pilot who was always afraid for the longevity of his job, I can tell you there was a strong imperative to "Git her done, boy". Upgrades onto better aircraft and better assignments were rewards handed out to those who went that "extra mile".

And at the end of the day, there was never anyone there to stick up for you when you decided to divert or take the safer and inevitably more expensive or inconvenient option. Everyone from the passengers to management hated you and marked you down as being an inferior pilot.

I remain thankful for one small mercy - at least back then we never had the internet with its seemingly unlimited supply of been-nowhere, done-nothing, know-alls.

Not where I worked in GA Lucille, company stuck up for safe pilots 100% of the time. (As did majority of the competition) What’s more, anyone who did try to go the “extra mile” in a dodgy, half arsed fashion, would certainly have to worry about longevity. There were a few.

Having attended numerous CASA seminars over the years I am struck by the significant number of middle to old age attendees (me included I must admit) who go along to these free seminars mainly to meet old acquaintances from previous seminars, free non-jeopardy tea and bikkies, free CASA hand-outs but little else that we haven't heard before.
I have seen no evidence of CASA "hammering" Human Factors. In any case a lot of this stuff is online nowadays

I understand there is no camera or Unicom at the airport to provide information on local conditions.

Just like Lord Howe where the local bloke Clive Wilson has been prevented from giving local weather!

Dick, what about WAAS? What price having vertical guidance on a RNAV approach but the self-proclaimed safety experts don't seem to think it necessary. Info (visual or voice) on local conditions is fine but I would much rather vertical guidance than what prevails today.

From the public media announcements I am led to think this aircraft had already made two unsuccessful attempts at landing (presumably RNAV R30) and crashed at about 3.3 nm short of the runway on the third approach. It is known from experience that the chance of a crash increases with the number of approaches made. That is why some airlines forbid flight crew from commencing an approach if the conditions are less than the minima. With WAAS (or whatever it is called these days) that minima can be much lower than our RNAV approaches. From videos posted on-line from GA pilots in the USA their minima with vertical guidance are approaching that of an ILS.

It is time we moved from the dark ages in Australia. There is a wealth of aviation advances around the world that we are ignoring with fatal results.

Alledgedly one of the guys on the plane sent a picture of the weather after the second aborted attempt to land.

RIP guys.

I’m happy to get some cameras up there. Depending on what equipment is already there, it could cost less than $150 for two good ones. I do my best but we put cameras where they are asked for and there’s only enough hours in the day to chase up airport operators. It’s sad to think that cameras there may have averted this tragedy. I’d like to think that they have already saved lives but as you know it’s impossible to ever find out!

There is an AWIS, TAF and METAR.

I’m not sure what value a camera would have in preventing this accident. The PIC was by definition a professional pilot and the expectation is that he should give it a go unless there was good reason not to. He was IFR rated for a reason.
My experience of Lockhart over 3 years is that it’s tropical and if you don’t like the weather wait 30 mins.
Cameras have their usefulness in determining VFR conditions and should be encouraged in that context. Their usefulness is limited in determining whether the cloud is above or below IFR RNAV minima.
The METAR. AWIS and talking to UNICOM operator are many many times more useful than a webcam image

And do you appreciate the irony of bringing up what you label as an unlimited supply of been-nowhere, done-nothing, know-alls when you're bringing up a topic without having any damned clue at all whether this Pilot was pressured or had any reason at all to doubt whether it was safe to conduct this flight? How about you pull your own head in and go have a think about yourself for a moment.