Circumstances:

The aircraft was one of two being used to muster a large paddock and was being operated by an experienced mustering pilot with a trainee mustering pilot on board. At the completion of the paddock muster, the aircraft was carrying out yard up operations which required manoeuvres at low altitudes. Whilst chasing a breakaway beast, the pilot turned tightly, and a main rotor blade contacted the ground. The aircraft tumbled forward and came to rest on its side. It is probable that the pilot was concentrating his attention on the escaping beast and did not pay sufficient attention to flying his aircraft.

The pilot elected to conduct a practice autorotation. His initial intention was to reapply power and to discontinue the exercise before reaching the ground, but during the descent he changed his mind and decided to continue to the ground. As the pilot flared the helicopter the tail skid contacted the ground and the main rotors struck the tail boom and tail rotor shaft. The pilot chose an unfamiliar sand bar on which to practice the autorotational landing. The associated glare from such a surface and the lack of visual cues for height assessment are considered to have led the pilot to misjudge his height for the flare.

Circumstances:

Following a firm touch down, during the landing sequence the right main gear leg snapped. The aircraft came to a halt within the confines of the runway. Apparently, the student on the previous flight in this aircraft had made a series of heavy landings which were not reported.

Towards the end of the landing roll the aircraft began to diverge to the right. The pilot unsuccessfully attempted to correct the situation and the aircraft ground looped. The left main gear leg was broken off and the left wing, tailplane and the propeller struck the ground. The pilot was inexperienced on tailwheel aircraft and the landing was conducted in light quartering tailwind conditions.

Circumstances:

The pilot reported that while attempting to start the aircraft engine, he smelt smoke. All occupants evacuated the aircraft, and the pilot attempted to extinguish the fire in the engine compartment with the aircraft's two fire extinguishers. He was unsuccessful in his attempt and called for assistance. By the time the local fire truck arrived the aircraft had been destroyed by the fire. The degree of destruction was too extensive to permit any meaningful investigation into the cause of the fire.

When the gear was selected down it did not fully extend and the gear circuit breaker tripped. Initially the circuit breaker could not be reset nor could the gear be lowered using the emergency system. The circuit breaker was subsequently reset and a gear down indication obtained. Shortly after touchdown the aircraft yawed until it was travelling backwards. The tailskid struck the runway and the aircraft came to rest after turning through a further 90 degrees. The right main wheel was found to have turned through 90 degrees because the scissor linkage arms had become disconnected. A castellated nut and its retaining split pin was found to be missing from the bolt which joins the scissor linkage arms. The reason for the loss of these items could not be positively established.

Following a normal circuit, the aircraft touched down with the landing gear doors open and the gear partly extended. The gear collapsed as the aircraft slid to a halt on its under-surface. The pilot had diverted so that a telephone call could be made and he decided to land well down the runway to save time taxying. He forgot to select the gear down until immediately prior to touchdown.

The pilot reported that, after commencing the take-off with flaps up, he selected 10 degrees of flap and rotated at 60 knots. Although the aircraft became airborne it did not climb normally. The aircraft struck a telephone line near the end of the strip and then landed in a paddock before passing under a power line. With full power still applied, the pilot attempted to clear a fence but the wing leading edges struck fenceposts. The aircraft landed heavily and came to rest 478 metres from the strip end. The take-off performance had been degraded by a loss of engine power resulting from unserviceable piston rings in two cylinders. The aircraft was being operated at some 120 Kilograms in excess of the weight extracted from the performance charts as being the maximum allowable for the strip length.

Circumstances:

The pilot reported that he had obtained permission to use the Authorised Landing Area and had operated there on several occasions. He was assured that the strip was maintained and mown regularly. On arrival the previous day, he noted that the grass was unusually long. From the take-off weight chart, he calculated that in nil wind conditions the aircraft weight was less than the maximum allowable for the prevailing strip conditions. Several taxying runs were made up and down the strip to assess aircraft acceleration. The pilot then commenced a take-off run towards the west into an estimated five to eight knot headwind. Take-off safety speed was achieved, and the aircraft became airborne about sixty metres before the end of the strip but failed to climb. The airspeed began to decay, and the aural stall warning was heard. The pilot closed the throttle and landed in a paddock ahead. Because of the damp grass, braking was ineffective, and the aircraft collided with a fence. Although the strip elevation was 3350 feet, the pilot said that based on earlier advice from his instructors, and from his knowledge of the engine manufacturers recommendations, he did not consider leaning the fuel mixture for take-off. He also said that local pilots had suggested there was a wind tunnelling effect at the end of the strip due to the terrain.

Circumstances:

The pilot was landing on a grass strip located on his property. Just prior to touchdown the aircraft developed a high rate of sink. The aircraft bounced twice, resulting in the collapse of the nose landing gear.