The pilot who was inexperienced in mustering operations was impressed with the efficiency of the other members of the mustering team. So as not to be seen to be wasting time, the pilot elected to land downwind on the shorter strip instead of clearing cattle from the main strip. However, he did not notice a washout crossing the shorter strip. During the landing roll the aircraft entered the washout and the nosegear leg was broken off, the propeller, engine cowling and right wing were also damaged.

Circumstances:

There was a thunderstorm in the vicinity of Koolan Island when the aircraft arrived, and the pilot held until the storm had cleared the area. The pilot made a normal full flap approach touching down approximately 300 metres into the 661 metre strip. After approximately 100 metres of ground roll on the wet gravel/coral strip, all braking effectiveness ceased. The pilot attempted to steer the aircraft to the left to avoid overrunning the end of the strip, however, the aircraft skidded, turned through 180 degrees, and came to a stop partially off the strip, resting on the cargo pod and the right wing tip. After the aircraft stopped the pilot observed the surface was hard, there were oil-soaked areas on the surface and water was still running off the strip.

Circumstances:

The pilot's DEPARTURE was delayed by business discussions, and he arrived over the Pinnacles Station after last light. During the landing attempt without runway lighting and in overcast conditions, the pilot raised the nose for landing whilst the aircraft was high and to the right of the strip. On touchdown the nosewheel entered soft sand and collapsed. The aircraft overturned during the landing.

Having completed his first solo the previous day, the pilot was given a dual check and authorised to carry out five solo circuits. The first landing was reported as normal, however on the second, the pilot carried out a go-around after the aircraft bounced to about 30 ft. After a slight bounce on the next landing a go-around was carried out and the aircraft adopted a nose up attitude and turned left. The left wing struck a fence before the aircraft was landed in a field.

Circumstances:

The pilot reported that he was taxiing towards the parking area when he misjudged the distance between the aircraft and a fuel tanker. The aircraft's right wing collided with the tanker

During cruising flight the pilot noticed an indication of a high battery discharge rate, and saw that the alternator and landing gear pump circuit breakers had popped. Both breakers were reset, but a short time later the gear pump breaker popped again. The pilot reset the device and shortly afterwards smoke was observed coming from the centre console area. The pilot elected to make an immediate landing on a short, disused strip. The aircraft overran the strip and the pilot steered the aircraft into a tree to avoid running into a gully. An internal fault in the landing gear hydraulic pump resulted in damage to the pump motor, which then ran continuously, overloading the circuit. The resetting of the circuit breaker allowed the overload condition to continue until the over-heated powerpack venting system failed and hydraulic oil was sprayed over the unit, producing the smoke in the cockpit. The pilot subsequently misjudged his approach and touched down half way along the selected strip.

On the morning of the accident a periodic inspection had been completed on the aircraft. Following this inspection, the pilot, accompanied by an engineer, carried out a satisfactory test flight in the helicopter. The pilot then lunched with the engineers and after farewelling them at the airport was driven to the helicopter to prepare for the flight back to the mustering camp. The helicopter was later observed by a stockman who was travelling in a vehicle towards the mustering camp. When the helicopter was first seen it was flying at a height of about 200 feet above the tops of the trees in the direction of the camp. It then appeared to stop, turn abruptly through 90 degrees to the left, roll to the left and spin through 360 degrees before impacting the ground inverted. At about the same time as the helicopter turned to the left an object was seen to fly horizontally away from the aircraft to the right. After ground impact a fire broke out and engulfed the wreckage. An extensive search of the area failed to locate the object that had fallen from the helicopter. However it is believed that the object may have been one of several cans of oil or grease the pilot was known to have carried in the aircraft. The examination of wreckage did not reveal any defect in the helicopter which was likely to have contributed to the occurrence. The reason for the loss of control by the pilot could not be determined.

The aircraft had been parked in the open overnight. When the pilot arrived at the strip he noted that shallow fog had settled over the area. The temperature was below freezing point and frost covered the aircraft, except for the windscreen which had been protected by a cloth sheet. A pre-flight inspection was carried out, but did not include the removal of the frost from the aircraft. Because the fog had reduced visibility to about 50 metres, the pilot taxied the aircraft along the strip to check for obstructions. During this time the moisture froze on the windscreen, however by reaching from the cockpit the pilot was able to clear the left side of the screen. Shortly afterwards the take-off was commenced and the lightly loaded aircraft became airborne after a ground run of about 250 metres. At this point all forward visibility was lost because of frost re-forming on the windscreen. The pilot noticed that the aircraft appeared to be banking to the left and he elected to land immediately. The left wingtip contacted the ground, followed by the main wheels. The aircraft ran off the side of the strip and collided with a fence, before coming to rest about 100 metres from the strip. The pilot had had no disciplined instrument flying experience and had been unable to maintain effective control of the aircraft during the take-off with severely restricted visibility. The degradation in aircraft performance as a result of the frost covering the wings and tail surfaces could not be established.

Prior to the first flight on the day the pilot inspected the fuel tanks of the aircraft and estimated they contained 225 litres of fuel. On that basis he planned a flight of 155 minutes duration. Approaching the second last turning point of the flight the engine stopped. The pilot selected the other fuel tank, power was restored and a diversion made to the nearest suitable airfield. On final approach to that airfield the engine stopped again. The aircraft was landed heavily in a paddock and the nose gear leg torn off. The aircraft had been parked on sloping ground which could account for the over-estimation of fuel contents. As the flight was conducted at 3000 feet, no attempt was made to lean the mixture although fuel consumption was increased 24 percent by running the engine at full rich mixture. Suitable forced landing areas were overflown enroute to the diversion aerodrome because the pilot thought that the fuel gauge was in error. The aircraft stalled during an attempt to prolong the glide to a more suitable area.

The pilot reported that as the aircraft was climbing through 3000 feet when it suffered a bird strike. The aircraft was landed at the DEPARTURE aerodrome without further incident. The bird, an eagle, became embedded in the vertical stabiliser.