The student pilot was receiving instruction for an endorsement on the aircraft type. Following a touch and go landing, the instructor closed the throttle to simulate an engine failure. The subsequent landing was firm and the right wheel broke off. The aircraft ground looped through 180 degrees before coming to rest. Inspection of the gear leg revealed severe corrosion in the internal section of the leg. The right maingear leg failed on landing due to corrosion. This corrosion apparently had not been detected during the most recent periodic and major inspections, and there was no evidence that the bore of the maingear leg had been coated and sealed to prevent ingress of moisture.

Circumstances:

All the pilot's previous flying experience was in conventional aircraft. He had operated this aircraft only to the extent of conducting short "hops" along the strip. On this occasion however, he became airborne and flew for about 15 minutes before approaching to land. On late finals as the aircraft flared for landing, the engine power was heard to increase and then decrease. At the same time, the aircraft began to porpoise. The right wing and then the nose struck the ground before the aircraft nosed over.

The pilot entered the circuit intending to land on the sealed north/south runway but noticed that the windsock seemed to be indicated an easterly wind of about 20 knots. He therefore decided to land on strip 07. As the pilot flared the aircraft he saw a white cross on the strip but elected to continue with the landing. Near the end of the landing roll the landing gear struck an ant hill and was torn from the aircraft. The strip used by the pilot had been decommissioned in September 1987, and was marked with a series of white crosses. All threshold and strip markers had been removed. An amendment to Aerodrome Diagrams, effective 7 April 1988, removed the strip from the particular diagram. The pilot was familiar with the aerodrome but had not landed there for almost 18 months. He did not check the relevant Aerodrome Diagram before landing and had not incorporated the April 7 amendment into his publication. The pilot said that he did not see any of the white crosses on the strip until he was about to touch down. The strip was covered with long grass. This accident was not the subject of an on-site investigation.

The pilot was carrying out the first spraying run in the particular paddock. Towards the end of the run he was distracted when a large flock of birds suddenly flew up in front of the aircraft. The pilot descended in order to fly under the birds, but temporarily forgot that there was a power line in the vicinity. As he pulled up at the end of the run, the main gear snagged the wire. The wire cutters fitted to the gear did not sever the wire and the aircraft subsequently struck the ground 82 metres beyond the run of the power line.

During the landing roll the aircraft began to swing to the right. The pilot attempted unsuccessfully to correct the swing by applying left brake and rudder. Because of the likelihood of striking a parked aircraft he then induced a ground loop to the right and the aircraft was brought to a stop. An inspection of the aircraft revealed that the right maingear had unlocked and the aircraft had settled on the right float. No fault could be found with the landing gear system. The gear collapse was consistent with there being insufficent hydraulic pressure available to hold the gear locks in position during the landing. The post accident inspection revealed that the hydraulic pump switch, which is located next to the electric fuel boost pump switch, was in the off position. It is likely that the hydraulic pump switch was inadvertently selected off after the previous take-off.

Circumstances:

The pilot had completed a satisfactory check with an instructor prior to commencing his second set of solo night circuits. The circuits were part of the pilot's initial night flying training. On the second landing, the pilot raised the nose too quickly and the sudden loss of speed and lift caused the aircraft to touch down heavily. The heavy touch down damaged the landing gear.

The pilot had not flown the aircraft type for 2 months. After a period in the training area he approached to land on the 17 strip. The wind was from the south-east at 5 to 10 knots. During the ground roll brake was applied, but the aircraft diverted to the right side of the strip. The pilot corrected for this, but the ensuing left turn tightened and the right maingear collapsed. The aircraft came to rest 480 metres into the strip. It was determined that the gear leg had failed from overload forces. An inspection of the cockpit revealed that the throttle was partly forward, suggesting this may have been a factor in the longer than normal landing run and the problem of directional control of the aircraft. This accident was not the subject of an on scene investigation.

The aircraft was being operated from a strip which had been cleared in a hay paddock. The pilot was aware that the strip was of marginal length and had therefore reduced the load to be carried. On take-off, the aircraft accelerated normally to about 40 knots but the performance then appeared to stagnate. The pilot attempted to dump the load, but only partial dumping was achieved before the right main gear struck a fence post as the aircraft became airborne. The impact displaced the gear, however the aircraft remained under control and the pilot diverted the aircraft to a more suitable aerodrome. The right main gear became completely dislodged during the landing. A subsequent inspection of the strip revealed that it had a soft sandy surface, covered with short and thick grass. Heavy rain had fallen in the area during the night and early morning, and the grass was very wet at the time of the take-off. When calculating the load he could safely carry from the strip, the pilot had not appreciated the degree to which the surface conditions would affect the take-off performance.

Circumstances:

At the completion of a local soaring flight the pilot misjudged the final approach path. The glider undershot the landing strip and touched down in rough ground. Moderate damage was sustained to the fuselage, wingtip, and horizontal stabiliser. Wind conditions were reported to be gusting to 15 knots at the time.

The pilot was engaged in spraying a crop of lupins. The aircraft was observed to fly from one paddock to another on the property. A short time later a tree in that paddock was observed to be on fire. The wreckage of the aircraft was later found in the paddock. The aircraft had struck the ground in an inverted attitude and was completely burnt out by the ensuing fire. No evidence of aircraft failure or pilot incapacitation was found. The reason for the loss of control leading to the accident could not be determined.