Twin Otter Crash - Taihiti
 

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/...ectid=10456972

Stink. :(

Dont ya love the press - its all about getting the story out first. accurracy comes second.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L10630395.htm

Twin Otter, not Dornier...

Air Moorea Twin Otter crash - Tahiti
 

An Air Moorea Twin Otter aircraft with 19 passengers and a pilot on board crashed after taking off from Temae airport in Moorea Island, en route to the local capital Papeete, a short flight away.
From CNN

It is F-OIQI
Here are its photos
http://forum.ivao.aero/index.php/topic,42221.0.html

more infos on :

http://www.tahitipresse.pf/

French site dedicated is also talking about the crash

http://www.crash-aerien.com/www/news...d=6023&check=0

Whenever I read about Twin Otters crashing after takeoff, I always think of an incident that happened to me way back in the 1980's. Single crew operating out of Gatwick. After takeoff the propellor pitch controls (in the roof) have to be moved almost to the rear end of the quadrant in the process of setting climb/cruise power. I started to do so on this occasion and immediately felt that something was wrong so stopped and looked at what I was doing. I was moving the HP cock levers instead wasn't I? Fortunately the ends of these levers were a different shape to the pitch ones, hence the "wrong feeling" after I had moved them a mere half inch. I firmly pushed them fully forwards again and adjusted the correct levers as appropriate. Thus I avoided the double engine failure I would have otherwise suffered.
About 8 years later, I found myself flying the same type, this time in Africa and discovered that a plastic guard had been fitted over the HP cock levers to prevent this problem occurring. "Good idea" I thought, someone else has had the same problem."
A couple of years ago I went out to the Maldives for a holiday and the final leg of my journey was in a Twin Otter float plane. I noticed that this aircraft had not received the modification and on mentioning same to the pilot, he was very interested. I suppose a double engine failure on takeoff in a float plane isn't quite as serious a matter as it would be over a built up area!

P.P.

P Pilcher.........."I found myself flying the same type, this time in Africa and discovered that a plastic guard had been fitted over the HP cock levers to prevent this problem occurring. "Good idea" I thought, someone else has had the same problem."

Does beg the question why de Havilland didn't take this problem and solution on board and pass the solution on to other Otter operators.....??
H49

Particularly since DHC had known about it since the early 70s. A pilot of a Series 100, belonging to an oil company that I worked for, did the same thing on takeoff out of Edmonton Municipal Airport and made an immaculate forced landing into the only available open ground - a schoolyard. Luckily, it was early morning, before school time.

When I subsequently flew on this aircraft, the fuel levers were secured in the On position with bungee cords that hooked around the levers.

I am surprised the Air Maldive aircraft didn't have this mod, since they come from Ken Borek in Calgary and you would think the Canadian Twin Otter operators would be very aware of the previous incident.

P.Pilcher......

You weren't the first, even in the same company.... if you were flying with the Westcountry Airline I* think you were.

Several years before something similar had happened during some training on the Twin Otter at EXT.

Harry's face was ashen when he got back to PLH. Cue a long telex to Downsview..... and the latter guards that you came across as a safety mod.

Rgds
BEX

Well, in the light of everyone else's experiences it was clearly a known problem before I started flying the A/C (I can just see poor Harry's face). You would have thought that the appropriate mod would have been made mandatory before I came across it in the latter part of the 90's, and it had still not got as far as the Maldives who are big DHC 6 floatplane operators in 2004.

P.P.

I find it hard to believe a guy could mistake fuel cut off levers for the props...Especially since they were island hoppers doing many many flights a day. I guess stranger things have happened... In the 6000hrs i flew the DHC6 id never heard of it but had come across the mod in Africa aswell. The other thing is a full twin otter with a failed engine my just take you to the scene of the accident in some cases... Anyways i guess will see what comes out of the investigation

at one airline I worked for, the DHC 6 always was flown with two pilots...I suppose this is not the norm worldwide. this is some small protection against turning off the HP Cocks.

on such short flights, 7 minutes, alot is on the pilot .

I heard an interesting tidbit from a fellow pilot who did his DHC-6 training at Air Moorea. He said that Air Moorea's company procedure was to immediately select flaps UP during an engine failure after take-off!!! This flies directly in the face of the DHC-6 flight manual and any training I've done. The correct flap setting is flaps 10.

If this guy was heavy and selected flaps up after and engine failure I can easily see a stall or loss of control happening!!!

[quote]
I heard an interesting tidbit from a fellow pilot who did his DHC-6 training at Air Moorea. He said that Air Moorea's company procedure was to immediately select flaps UP during an engine failure after take-off!!!

Could a company be so stupid???:eek:

P Pilcher, please view the video:

http://s91.photobucket.com/albums/k2...7_03120083.flv

I flew on F-OIQI from Tahiti Faa'a to Moorea Airport on Sunday 11th March of this year, the above it just a little video that I took of the engine start up. There was only one pilot as can be seen on the video.

How sad, rest in peace everyone x

No - definitely no evidence of H.P. cock guards on that A/C either. I have no idea why this modification has not been made mandatory by the manufacturer. Of course the pitch and HP cock knob ends are completely different shapes which was what saved me and probably countless other DHC pilots over the years who are too ashamed to admit that they were caught out so DHC were never aware how serious the problem was, but it is easy to do - especially when you are tired. The A/C is of course designed for entirely single pilot operation, but in many cases it is now always a two crew job as it became in the U.K. in about 1990 when single pilot public transport operations were severely curtailed.
Pity in some ways - I have fond memories of flying up to the Midlands with foggy conditions below, sorting out diversions, RVR's, handling agents, company ops frequencies with no form of autopilot, expecting an ILS down to limits, and a passenger in the RHS! If I remember correctly, he was impressed!

P.P.

As usual, let's wait for the results of the investigation, if any.
Without FDR and CVR, and the aircraft at the bottom of the ocean, it will be difficult.

At least, there are a few plausible explanations here.
Unlike the French forum quoted earlier, which already has gone into conspiracy theory mode....

About the only useful info there seems to be that the aircraft went in at an angle, not vertically.

Having flown the first DHC-6 on the west coast (1966) and thereafter worked for a company that had thirty eight of 'em at one time, not once were the fuel levers mistaken for the propellor controls.
Totally different shape.

Now, if you actually look at what control you are moving, instead of just grabbing a handful, it works much better.

And yes, I've flown the machine single pilot too.

I agree with 411A...
This mistake just shouldn't be made.