Adequate training should be done, not sure if that was the case here? An Ag rating should be considered minimum for ANY low level work. There has been a trend for a so called "Low level " endorsements for powerline inspection, training should cover all conditions/weather.

Why an AG Rating? It is for a very specific purpose!

You obviously have no idea what you’re talking about in regards to this accident and those involved.

Well said, roundsounds.

Would it be safer to use a zenith 750 or suchlike with LE slats and good s low speed capabilities?

Cecil, we didn't go out on powerline inspections if there was low cloud / rain / fog / strong winds / night time.

And an Ag rating is absolutely not needed.

You blokes are not the only ones to have done powerline work, wasting time here listening to you blokes dribble

Oh how wrong you are roundsounds.

Don’t worry Cecil, you can’t expect those without experience like yours to understand the low level world in it’s entirety.

Extremely sad to see lives lost.

Unfortunately with the way these power companies are, it will always be contracted out to the cheapest operation, not necessarily to the safest or most appropriate means of doing the job.

I'll dribble in a quick question...on the day of the accident I saw on TV about the raging cold front/snow/ strong winds doing a job on SE Oz.
How was the weather in the Sutton area at the time ?

Have spent a lot of time low and slow in the back seat for aerial filming.

As most would know, High voltage powerlines are a doddle to survey compared to distribution lines that duck and weave and do their best to hide in the trees.

Did a season in NSW operating a power company's $700k stabilised gimbal. I believe this operation has since been replaced with a hand held stills.(?)
The idea was to fly higher and faster and record in HD (2k) and do a QA check in the office on a big screen. This was a success apart from its high cost (!) The demonstration/proving sales pitch was conducted during a short demo flight of poles that were not obstructed by trees so poles per minute count was higher than real world.

An accident database I collated 2000-2013, the number of incidents where stabilised gimbals are employed is very low compared to open door shooting. My view is, in general, the more expensive the cost per hour the better managed is the flight.
New technology of relevance, in the last few weeks Sony launched a 8k stills camera which is cable of 30fps. Late last year a 12k motion picture camera became available from South Melbourne run company Blackmagic design. The cost of exterior mounted stabilsied gimbals to house these cameras remains relatively high and is a barrier to their use.
Lidar continues to improve as well.

In the 1990's the cost of burying all the power lines in Australia was put at $50B. https://www.aph.gov.au/sitecore/cont...IB9697/97cib11
In 2002 cost of replacing aerial with underground lines in NSW was $7500 per customer, if this was amortised over 15 years I believe it is doable.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/powe...30-gdfhx4.html

Roll on to 2019 in USA is $3m per mile (run buy energy companies rather than community) for distribution lines or $15k per customer
https://www.desertsun.com/story/news...ot/3937653002/

My point is that if aerial inspections are the solution to otherwise spending $15k per customer, workplace safety of those providing the solution should not be compromised. (I'm not saying it was in this incident)
Sad and frustrated to hear of two lives lost in what should be an unremarkable survey mission, I hope the cause was unavoidable, ie bird strike or freak mechanical failure.

I'm reminded of the Dec 2014 fixed wing crash during photography of the Sydney to Hobart race where Aussie Ppruners were criticised for insensitivity in discussing the incident before official investigations had begun.
Column inches immediately after an incident can have an effect on political response, which in turn can have a positive effect on workplace safety. A mission to improve the safety of critical infrastructure for the benefit of communities has ended in tragedy.

Mjb

Well said, mjb.

I seem to recall that you were the one that was sensitive about this event, but the pictures at the time spoke for themselves.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....245f99569.jpeg

IF you are referring to me, I'm puzzled. I received PM to stop commenting on the match race crash by friends/acquatances of the family who were holding onto hope it was not pilot error.

So you were in the other camp then. I recall it coming up either way.

I think your figures are way too cheap.
When I worked for an electricity distribution company twenty years ago, our general rule of thumb for undergrounding overhead distribution lines was "$5k per span plus $5k each end"..
Just my $NZ0.02 worth

look it up