"Chopper" down Darwin area
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Australia
Posts: 1,957
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Area 80 today, wind 110/20, check google earth mataranka, see cricket pitch on eastern side of highway as take off point according to goss, service road where power lines are, dial in 2pob. PHL 200 hours maybe. Norstock does not register on CASA website, or am i missing something.
rodeo in mataranka today. after that speech, speechless
rodeo in mataranka today. after that speech, speechless
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: UK
Posts: 48
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Northern Territory News
A TERRITORY pilot was killed and his passenger injured after his helicopter ploughed into powerlines and slammed into the ground yesterday.
The pilot, believed to be Duane Fishlock, was taking off in his Robinson R22 chopper when disaster struck at the rodeo grounds at Mataranka, about 100km south of Katherine, about noon. Amid fears the aircraft was going to blow up as fuel spilled around the scene, bystanders risked their own lives to drag the passenger, NT bull rider Sam Webb, from the twisted wreck.
He had miraculously escaped serious injury but witnesses said he was "shaken" and "could not stand up".
He was taken to the local clinic for treatment before being transported by St John Ambulance to Katherine Hospital, where he was last night in a stable condition recovering with a suspected broken arm. He and Mr Fishlock were taking part in the rodeo that was to be staged in Mataranka last night. It was postponed until next weekend.
Mr Fishlock, believed to be from the nearby Sturt Downs Station, comes from a well-known family in the Katherine area. He is also a familiar face on the Top End rodeo circuit.
Sports photographer Mike Kenyon, from Queensland, was covering the rodeo circuit and was on scene to capture the horror crash unfolding.
He said he had taken photos of the chopper as it landed at the grounds an hour earlier and when he saw it was going to take off decided to snap it coming up over the canteen roof at the showgrounds.
"I'd set up the shot but they never made it over the roof," he said. "They hit these wires and I heard a big bang and down she went."
"I was on the scene in a few minutes. There was fuel coming out of the chopper and I saw two young rodeo bull riders rush in and drag the passenger out. He (the passenger) obviously got concussion and didn't know where he was at first."
Mr Kenyon said the pilot had suffered severe head injuries and would have died instantly. Police, Fire and Rescue and Emergency Services personnel from Mataranka and Katherine rushed to the crash, which happened about 20m inside the gate of the rodeo showgrounds.
Civil Aviation Safety Authority investigators are expected to attend the area today. Australian Transport Safety Bureau spokesman Ian Brokenshire said it was not known at this stage what caused the crash.
The pilot, believed to be Duane Fishlock, was taking off in his Robinson R22 chopper when disaster struck at the rodeo grounds at Mataranka, about 100km south of Katherine, about noon. Amid fears the aircraft was going to blow up as fuel spilled around the scene, bystanders risked their own lives to drag the passenger, NT bull rider Sam Webb, from the twisted wreck.
He had miraculously escaped serious injury but witnesses said he was "shaken" and "could not stand up".
He was taken to the local clinic for treatment before being transported by St John Ambulance to Katherine Hospital, where he was last night in a stable condition recovering with a suspected broken arm. He and Mr Fishlock were taking part in the rodeo that was to be staged in Mataranka last night. It was postponed until next weekend.
Mr Fishlock, believed to be from the nearby Sturt Downs Station, comes from a well-known family in the Katherine area. He is also a familiar face on the Top End rodeo circuit.
Sports photographer Mike Kenyon, from Queensland, was covering the rodeo circuit and was on scene to capture the horror crash unfolding.
He said he had taken photos of the chopper as it landed at the grounds an hour earlier and when he saw it was going to take off decided to snap it coming up over the canteen roof at the showgrounds.
"I'd set up the shot but they never made it over the roof," he said. "They hit these wires and I heard a big bang and down she went."
"I was on the scene in a few minutes. There was fuel coming out of the chopper and I saw two young rodeo bull riders rush in and drag the passenger out. He (the passenger) obviously got concussion and didn't know where he was at first."
Mr Kenyon said the pilot had suffered severe head injuries and would have died instantly. Police, Fire and Rescue and Emergency Services personnel from Mataranka and Katherine rushed to the crash, which happened about 20m inside the gate of the rodeo showgrounds.
Civil Aviation Safety Authority investigators are expected to attend the area today. Australian Transport Safety Bureau spokesman Ian Brokenshire said it was not known at this stage what caused the crash.
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Australia
Posts: 1,957
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Maybe the photographer who took the graphic pictures could give them a lead as to why he had set his camera up beside the "canteen" fully expecting to take a picture of the machine overflying it, as per his statement in one of the stories..
The tag stories make interesting reading
latest below.
Investigators probe NT rodeo helicopter crash
Posted 2 hours 49 minutes ago
Investigators have interviewed witnesses and inspected the wreckage of a helicopter that crashed at Mataranka, 100 kilometres south of Katherine, on the weekend, killing Territorian cattleman Duane Fishlock.
The 45-year-old died instantly when his Robinson chopper hit powerlines at the Mataranka Rodeo Grounds and crashed on Saturday.
Four investigators from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) have visited the site to inspect the helicopter.
The Bureau's Richard Davies says it is too early to know what went wrong and a preliminary report will be released in 30 days
"We are finding it very difficult to determine what the pilot's intentions were on departure," he said.
"We know he was on the cricket field there, he did become airborne, he was airborne for a short period of time and we do not at this stage know his intentions or his destination," he said.
Tags: accidents, air-and-space-accidents, nt, mataranka-0852
The tag stories make interesting reading
latest below.
Investigators probe NT rodeo helicopter crash
Posted 2 hours 49 minutes ago
Investigators have interviewed witnesses and inspected the wreckage of a helicopter that crashed at Mataranka, 100 kilometres south of Katherine, on the weekend, killing Territorian cattleman Duane Fishlock.
The 45-year-old died instantly when his Robinson chopper hit powerlines at the Mataranka Rodeo Grounds and crashed on Saturday.
Four investigators from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) have visited the site to inspect the helicopter.
The Bureau's Richard Davies says it is too early to know what went wrong and a preliminary report will be released in 30 days
"We are finding it very difficult to determine what the pilot's intentions were on departure," he said.
"We know he was on the cricket field there, he did become airborne, he was airborne for a short period of time and we do not at this stage know his intentions or his destination," he said.
Tags: accidents, air-and-space-accidents, nt, mataranka-0852
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: australia
Posts: 174
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
His wife had taken his car keys so he couldn't drive his car, one high time pilot at the pub had warned him not to fly and was abused for it and another had thought about disabling the helicopter so he couldn't fly it but did not know how to do it.
15 knots of wind up the tail as he took off towards the powerline.
Survivor may have been in the pilots seat????????
15 knots of wind up the tail as he took off towards the powerline.
Survivor may have been in the pilots seat????????
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Melbourne/Australia
Posts: 123
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Are you saying???????????
deeper,
I am not trying to put you on the spot or in the **** but you said THAT HIS WIFE TOOK HIS CAR KEYS OFF HIM TO STOP HIM DRIVING????
I hope we have these facts wrong.
B
I am not trying to put you on the spot or in the **** but you said THAT HIS WIFE TOOK HIS CAR KEYS OFF HIM TO STOP HIM DRIVING????
I hope we have these facts wrong.
B
Just read on News.com.au, He was drunk at the time. 0.254Blood alcohol reading. 43 flying Hours after getting his licence and he has a go at flying drunk. You just got to shake your head.
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Out and About
Posts: 66
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: australia
Posts: 174
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
R22 crash, Mataranka, NT
The coroners report is out on the fatal R22 crash at the Mataranka showgrounds.
The pilot was killed in the accident and was found to have a blood/alcohol reading of .243, that is nearly five times over the limit for automobile driving.
, and six times over the limit for flying. That was well before lunch.
The passenger was uninjured.
The pilot was killed in the accident and was found to have a blood/alcohol reading of .243, that is nearly five times over the limit for automobile driving.
, and six times over the limit for flying. That was well before lunch.The passenger was uninjured.
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Australia
Posts: 1,957
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I think it will be zero alcohol for flying but the automobile limit used be .08 in the Territory but may now be .05 to conform with a national standard.
There is no mention as to whether any other type of drug was tested for???
Machines may be used more for general property maintenance duties but I cling to a hope that most of the pilots are still the steely eyed professionals that boys dream about being one day.
But, there are plenty who make the newspapers from time to time, or the TV.
Why one was seen last sunday night on a popular current affairs program dragging a crocodile across a swamp with a grappling hook attached to a not very long line under a R44.
The pilot was later seen doing a "Steve Irwin' and scruffing more crocs from off a boat into the water. Maybe he will make hard copy soon??
There is no mention as to whether any other type of drug was tested for???
Machines may be used more for general property maintenance duties but I cling to a hope that most of the pilots are still the steely eyed professionals that boys dream about being one day.
But, there are plenty who make the newspapers from time to time, or the TV.
Why one was seen last sunday night on a popular current affairs program dragging a crocodile across a swamp with a grappling hook attached to a not very long line under a R44.
The pilot was later seen doing a "Steve Irwin' and scruffing more crocs from off a boat into the water. Maybe he will make hard copy soon??
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: retirementland
Age: 79
Posts: 769
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Pilot was drunk when chopper crashed: ATSB
A sad waste of a life.
Nice to see CASA have the guts to take a tougth line.
Pilot was drunk when chopper crashed: ATSB - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
Nice to see CASA have the guts to take a tougth line.
Pilot was drunk when chopper crashed: ATSB - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
ATSB has found a helicopter pilot who died when his chopper crashed at Mataranka near Katherine in August last year had a blood alcohol reading of 0.245.
Cattleman, Duane Fishlock died instantly when his Robinson helicopter struck powerlines at the Mataranka sports ground and crashed. The only passenger, 20 year old Sam Webb, survived but was seriously injured.
The ATSB has found that Duane Fishlock had drunk an unknown quantity of alcohol in Katherine the night before the crash.
Several witnesses said he appeared to still be drunk in the morning.
A post mortem revealed his blood alcohol level was 0.245.
Civil Aviation regulations state that pilots must not fly within eight hours of drinking or if their ability to fly is impaired by alcohol.
CASA tightens pilot testing
Peter Gibson from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority said regulations regarding alcohol consumption were tightened late last year and random testing will begin in the next couple of months.
"This effects everyone in an operational position in aviation, pilots, engineers, cabin crews, refuellers the lot and it also covers private pilots," he said.
"They'll all be subject to random testing. They'll all be subject to effectively a nil alcohol and drug blood content."
Mr Gibson from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority said there's no evidence that drug and alcohol use is a big problem in the aviation industry.
"The Civil Aviation Safety Authority has contracted a leading medical organisation to carry out the random tests," he said.
"They'll be going around to airports large and small, to aviation businesses large and small doing saliva and breath tests and then analysing those to make sure that people who may be affected are taken out of aviation."
Random testing for drugs and alcohol is due to begin by May.
Cattleman, Duane Fishlock died instantly when his Robinson helicopter struck powerlines at the Mataranka sports ground and crashed. The only passenger, 20 year old Sam Webb, survived but was seriously injured.
The ATSB has found that Duane Fishlock had drunk an unknown quantity of alcohol in Katherine the night before the crash.
Several witnesses said he appeared to still be drunk in the morning.
A post mortem revealed his blood alcohol level was 0.245.
Civil Aviation regulations state that pilots must not fly within eight hours of drinking or if their ability to fly is impaired by alcohol.
CASA tightens pilot testing
Peter Gibson from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority said regulations regarding alcohol consumption were tightened late last year and random testing will begin in the next couple of months.
"This effects everyone in an operational position in aviation, pilots, engineers, cabin crews, refuellers the lot and it also covers private pilots," he said.
"They'll all be subject to random testing. They'll all be subject to effectively a nil alcohol and drug blood content."
Mr Gibson from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority said there's no evidence that drug and alcohol use is a big problem in the aviation industry.
"The Civil Aviation Safety Authority has contracted a leading medical organisation to carry out the random tests," he said.
"They'll be going around to airports large and small, to aviation businesses large and small doing saliva and breath tests and then analysing those to make sure that people who may be affected are taken out of aviation."
Random testing for drugs and alcohol is due to begin by May.
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: retirementland
Age: 79
Posts: 769
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
You mean you have never been a car passenger with someone who has had a drink?If not, well done.
Its that sort of attitude, like holding the handrail, reverse parking, or carrying coffee only in cups with lids that hled achieve a safety cullture.