Circumstances:

The aircraft was in normal cruising flight when the propeller suddenly went to fine pitch. A check of the instruments showed that the engine oil pressure gauge as reading low. The pilot immediately altered course in an attempt to reach a nearby airstrip. However, the engine then seized completely, and the pilot was forced to carry out an emergency landing on a roadway. During the landing roll the right wing hit a tree, slewing the aircraft off the road and into a ditch. A subsequent inspection revealed that the external line which carries oil to the propeller governor had burst. It was found that this pipe had for some time been chafing against a clamp which secured another oil line.

Circumstances:

The pilot planned to take two members of his family flying while conducting some local refresher flying in the circuit and local training area. On the ground it was very hot, but the wind was calm. The pilot loaded the first passenger and conducted two circuits without incident. He then loaded the second passenger and departed the circuit for the training area. Upon return to the aerodrome the pilot noted that there was a light wind from the west and planned his circuit entry to land on runway 31. The circuit appeared to be normal until on final when he felt that he was too high and too fast. However, he selected full flap and continued the approach touching down beyond the halfway point of the runway. The aircraft landed heavily nose wheel first and then bounced approximately two metres into the air. The tail cone and lower rudder also struck the ground as the aircraft bounced two more times before coming to rest off the right side of the runway.

Significant Factors:

The following factors were considered relevant to the development of the accident:

1. The pilot failed to initiate a go-around when he became unhappy with the approach.

2. The pilot exercised an improper recovery from a bounced landing.

Circumstances:

The pilot reported that he encountered windshear on final approach. He had made allowance for the gusty turbulent conditions and was approaching with full power when the aircraft began to sink towards a power line which was strung across the approach path. The pilot stated that he managed to avoid the wire with the main wheels, but the tailwheel struck the wire and arrested the forward motion of the aircraft. The aircraft then crashed to the ground from a height of about 50 feet. The pilot was aware of the presence of the wire on the approach path prior to the accident.

Significant Factors:

The following factors were considered relevant to the development of the accident:

1. The pilot encountered windshear.
2. The pilot was unable to avoid a power line on final approach.

The pilot had completed one circuit involving a touch and go landing. As power was applied for the take off phase of the second touch and go, the aircraft swerved to the left with the left main landing gear clear of the ground. The pilot was able to arrest the left swing but the aircraft continued to track beyond the confines of the flight strip. After impacting a fence post and two drains, the nose and left main gears were dislodged and the left wing impacted the ground. The investigation revealed that the pilot had used an incorrect crosswind control technique and failed to maintain directional control of the aircraft during the ground roll. The pilot delayed abandoning the take off phase of the touch and go sequence. The position at which the power was reduced and the take off abandoned could not be determined. There were no pre-existing defects with the aircraft which could have contributed to the accident. This accident was not the subject of an on-site investigation.

The pilot reported that he made an approach to land on the 675 metre long level grass strip in calm wind conditions. Approach speed was 70 knots and the aircraft passed over the approach end fence at about 20 to 30 feet above the ground at an airspeed of 65 knots. The aircraft touched down about a quarter of the way down the strip. The pilot said that he allowed the aircraft to settle, raised the flaps and applied the brakes. The aircraft started to slow down but then the brakes seemed to lose effectiveness. The pilot decided not to go around because of considerations of aircraft weight, speed and strip remaining. Instead, he attempted to turn off the strip to the right where there was plenty of room to stop but he got no response from the nosewheel steering or right brake application. The aircraft finally ran into the fence at the end of the strip which resulted in the nosewheel breaking off. The pilot said the strip surface at the time was short grass which was still very damp due to a frost the previous night. After the accident he inspected the nosewheel assembly and reported that there may have been a broken part on the steering assembly which could have resulted in no steering to the right. However, he did not report any problem with the nosewheel steering prior to this landing. This accident was not the subject of a formal on scene investigation.

Circumstances:

Following a preflight inspection the pilot departed from his property airstrip, climbing to approximately 1000 feet above ground level before setting heading for Mudgee via Tayar Peak. The pilot reported that the weather conditions were fine with a surface temperature of 6 degree Celsius and an estimated relative humidity of 75 per cent or greater. Shortly after passing Tayar Peak the engine began to run roughly and the pilot applied carburettor heat for approximately one minute. At the same time, he changed his heading slightly towards Rylstone airstrip. The aircraft had now entered a natural basin surrounded by steep ridges, some up to 1500 feet above ground level. The engine returned to smooth running for a short time, then again commenced to run roughly before losing power completely. With the propeller only windmilling the aircraft then descended below the surrounding ridge lines. Full carburettor heat was reapplied, but this failed to restore the power as the engine would have now cooled down, causing a lack of hot air through the carburettor heat system necessary to melt any ice accumulations. The pilot located a suitable area to carry out a landing, and during the approach sighted a power line, parallel and to the right of his track. On short final, with one stage of flap selected, he observed a branch power line which had previously been hidden by trees. It had a low, single wire spanning between poles across his flight path at 90 degrees. He attempted to descend beneath the wire, but the right wing and strut collided with the wire causing the aircraft to rise and assume a steep nose down attitude before impacting the ground. The nosewheel assembly separated at initial impact and the aircraft continued for about 15 metres before coming to rest. The pilot, who was uninjured, evacuated through the left hand cockpit door which had sprung open. There was no evidence of any pre-existing defect which could have caused the engine to fail. The Carburettor Icing - Probability Chart, which has been published in the Aviation Safety Digest, indicated that the prevailing atmospheric conditions would have been conducive to serious carburettor icing at any power setting.

Significant Factors:

The following factors were considered relevant to the development of the accident:

1. The pilot did not recognise that the ambient conditions were conducive to serious carburettor icing.
2. Pilot in command did not apply carburettor heat for a sufficient period of time.
3. Carburettor icing was sufficient to deprive engine of correct fuel/air mixture and thus cause the engine to lose power.

The pilot reported that the aircraft was higher than normal during the approach to land in crosswind conditions. The aircraft touched down heavily and bounced. Control was not regained and the aircraft stalled at about 10 feet above the runway. It then struck the ground in a nose down attitude, sustaining damage to the forward fuselage and the propeller. The pilot lacked recent experience on the aircraft type. A go-around was not initiated after the aircraft bounced on landing.

Earlier in the day the pilot had flown the aircraft from his farm to Muresk. Because no fuel was available at Muresk, he decided to fly the aircraft to Northam, 13 kilometres to the north. Just after the aircraft became airborne, the engine lost power. The pilot was committed to landing in a paddock. During the landing sequence the aircraft struck a fence and ran over a depressed roadway, tearing off the nosegear. The loss of engine power was due to fuel exhaustion. Prior to commencing the take off, the pilot did not check the quantity in the fuel tanks, nor did he calculate the remaining fuel endurance.

The pilot departed Toowoomba early on the same day to ferry the aircraft via refuelling stops at Walgett and Griffith. The flight evidently proceeded normally until the aircraft was on approach to land at Parafield. At this time the pilot advised that the engine was failing and shortly afterwards he reported that he was experiencing fuel problems and would attempt a forced landing. Control of the aircraft was subsequently lost and it crashed inverted into a suburban property. Inspection of the wreckage revealed that the engine had failed through fuel exhaustion. Fuel usage on the previous legs of the flight should have indicated to the pilot that the aircraft could not reach the destination with the mandatory fuel reserves. The pilot was known to be in a hurry to make an onward transport connection from Adelaide and he possibly allowed this to influence his decision to attempt the flight non-stop from Griffith. When the engine failed the aircraft was about 800 feet agl and there were no suitable forced landing areas within gliding distance. Control of the aircraft was then lost at too low a height to enable recovery before impact with the ground.

As the aircraft was climbing through 8000 feet the engine suffered a complete loss of power. After unsuccessfully attempting to restore engine power, the pilot selected a small clearing in which to land. During the landing attempt, the aircraft floated the 160 metre length of the clearing before colliding with trees. A substantial amount of foreign matter and corrosion had accumulated in the carburettor float bowl, main strainer bowl and auxilary fuel pump. Although the fuel filters were clean the corrosion was evidence that water had been held within the system for some considerable time. It is probable that during the climb some of the foreign matter blocked the carburettor main jet.