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.

deja vu; Check your Pm's please.

43 inches,

easy to put Jet a1 into the wrong aircraft. VH-MEH and P2-MEH parked alongside each other at BNE.
Refueler to his credit would not refuel either aircraft without the PIC being in attendance, just to make sure!.

What…. did he ask them to leave? :E

Capt. Fixed spelling !!! well done you....

What happened to the former MEH?

Not GAM related, but this reminds me of once finding soil inside the fuel tanks of a Piper Tomahawk at Essendon during a preflight fuel drain. Refused to fly it and the owner said they would sort it out. Turns out they did not for quite some time. Always thought it highly suspicious - the perfect contaminants to block the filter causing an engine failure. It would be difficult to differentiate the cause amongst the burnt out debris field. An insurance claim waiting to happen. Still have a photo sent to me from the hour hungry instructor who worked for the mob when they finally flew it to Moorabbin for inspection - a half a shovel load in each tank.

ATSB Info
 

ATSB is calling it fuel exhaustion (not starvation)

https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications...rt/ao-2024-008


Coincidentally (or otherwise) I heard a GAM crew asking a Rex crew a few days after this event if they could slow down and let them go number 1 as they were low on fuel.

Did it happen or is it coming out on a truck?

Nothing on Fight Aware since the incident flight.

No doubt staying below the radar! :E​​​​​​​

Don't know if fitted, but have witnessed before on same type, the pilot pays little to no attention to the fuel gauge and concentrates on the fuel computer ( I would believe which ever one is less ). How accurate is the fuel computer? How accurate are the numbers entered? It might under read a bit or over read a bit which adds up over a few weeks if you are just entering fuel added. If it is under reading , unless you fill tanks full, you will never know until it goes very quiet.
That aircraft type is tricky to physically check a part fuel load. If they depart the main bases with full fuel, it is easy to do a daily check of the computer and gauge when filled again. Possibly their loads limit that.

It’s not that hard.
These pilots fly the same routes every day… same aircraft, same payload, same fuel load. Something got missed on this occasion.

Yes - like adding fuel 😳😳

Back in my day, there were no fuel computers in any of the aircraft, that could have changed but I'm fairly sure it hasn't.

You're right in saying the same fuel every day, from memory the Parkes freight run is fuelled to full tanks out of Bankstown (by the truck) and then it was generally refuelled in Parkes during the day, pilots often didn't fuel in Parkes if the weather was good. Generally (if no Inter or Tempo) you had enough fuel to get back to Bankstown without refuelling.

It seems that a likely cause was the aircraft wasn't refuelled at all or to the correct full tanks amount and the pilot may not have realised.

The ATSB in their latest report is calling it a "Fuel Exhaustion" indicating they found the tanks to be dry.

Also there are two types of 'full' in a Shrike. There is the slow and steady full, and there is the refueller is in a hurry and has a fast pump full. You can be surprised how much you get short changed with the second one.

There are several possibilities in running out of fuel on the final stages of flight. .

Significantly fewer of those possibilities exist so soon after take off.


That said I recall a different strike different century (almost) and maybe a different scenario. New (although experienced) pilot returned from his first long flight. Next flight was full tanks. The amount of fuel that went in showed that there would have been about 5 mins flight time remaining on arrival of the inbound aircraft.

Quick calcs showed the fuel burn without leaning the mixtures in cruise would have lead to that fuel burn over that flight.
DCM.

That’s points directly to a failure in the training and checking system, should have also booted the check pilot who released the incident pilot to line.

No such thing as just culture in the previous century.

It’s been years since I’ve flown a Shrike Commander, however not having a means to dip the tank always made fuel calculations critical unless starting with a full tank.

Patience was definitely the key with those!

DF.

Same as the BK117.

Those words of wisdom coming from a Lady who refuelled a Shrike Commander (and a few Chieftains) more times than I've had hot dinners!!:ok:

Betcha miss the Minties and Fruitcake slices!