VH-MEH off field landing
 

It appears that GAM's VH-MEH conducted an off field landing in a paddock near Bathurst yesterday during the PM freight run. Looks like the pilot did a great job 👏

https://7news.com.au/news/pilot-brings-plane-down-in-paddock-next-to-great-western-hwy-near-bathurst-c-13878865

https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/vh-meh

No kidding! :ugh:

DF.

But apparently the drivers of the cars and the pilot of the GAM aircraft were not wearing hats. Spooky coincidence…

Oh dear - & now the conspiracy theories will start!

DF.

But betcha the car driver did not have an ASIC card.

Check those tanks

Did anyone hear the ATC chat at the time?

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....d77a8a21bf.png

Unlikely that one was shut down looking at those props. Any maydays?

Usual caveats from FR24 - looks like it got to 6400 in climb then immediate turn and descent with increase in speed then a slow steady decrease in speed to landing.

Shades of a Shrike landing on a beach in Adelaide many years ago!

DF.

Get the farmer to slash the grass and she'll be good to go! :E

Yers! My (Ours, DF) old Mate JH did a bloody good job in that case. :ok:

Fuel contamination was the culprit in that particular case, IIRC.

He sure did! This is from the ATSB report: The aircraft had been carrying sufficient fuel for the flight, the fuel tank caps were correctly secured and the fuel
tank vents were not blocked. Fuel samples taken from the fuel tanker which had recently refuelled the aircraft
showed that the correct type of fuel had been supplied, and was not contaminated.
The fuel filters were removed and fuel samples taken from the aircraft for analysis. The filters were found to be
blocked by a considerable amount of foreign matter restricting the fuel flow.

It's odd that they say "the fuel tank caps" because there was only one fuel tank cap on that old girl!

DF.

Hmm! There is an issue here. Double engine failure in a twin is very unusual. Foreign matter in the filters? What was that and how did it get in there? It looks like that aircraft will fly again after a buff-up. Good work by the pilot. Nothing worse than having a twin engine glider. Bet a change of his undies after a very strong coffee.

From the ATSB report: The aircraft often operates through the channel countries of South Australia and Queensland, a lot of the time in
dusty conditions. Refuelling is carried out using drum stock when contaminants could easily be introduced into the
fuel system.
The rapid blockage of the fuel filters, which occurred after the aircraft departed, was probably the result of the
aircraft fuel system being contaminated over a period of time with an accumulation of extremely fine particles
which would have been difficult to detect during water drain checks, and settled forming a sediment at the bottom of
the tank. These remained relatively undisturbed until fuel was added to the low level of fuel in the tank, stirring the
particles into suspension. This may have concentrated the contamination so that the filters, already partially
degraded by contaminants, were further degraded quickly to a point when fuel flow to the engines was severely
restricted.

DF.

I've had two cars have blocked fuel lines due to different types of contaminant in the fuel tanks, in both cases the engines ran as normal, until they didn't and stopped. Although it's interesting that it would block both/two engines at the same time. That said, I also know of a double engine failure that involved two oil pumps failing within 20 minutes of each other.

Apart from the obvious lack of fuel causing this, I can think also they possibly put AVTUR in it by mistake. Not having an engine feathered is interesting as well, a twin will glide a lot further with both feathered, some better than big singles with short wings.

Maybe the old girl was just worn out.
I flew AC500 -MEH on coastal surveillance between Darwin and Kunanarra and back numerous times in 1980-1981. It wasn't a young machine even then

Not the same machine but ya gotta love what can be done -

https://twincommander.com/custom-kit...s/renaissance/

Bob Hoover did it for fun, and threw in some no engine aerobatics as well.

Engines shut down at 7:05 in video

So what actually happened ?
Fuel starvation caused by what exactly ?

Steve would have had it out and airborne by now.