During a sheep mustering operation the aircraft was being orbited at about 200 feet agl and with 15 to 20 degrees of bank applied. During the orbiting the left wing struck the ground, the aircraft nosed-over and the engine was torn from its mountings. In the previous week the pilots normal sleep pattern had been broken. On the morning of the accident, he arose before dawn after having about five and a half hours rest. He had moved two large mobs of sheep into another paddock, which requires a high degree of concentration, and was orbiting whilst waiting for the last small mob to pass through the gate. It was at this stage, when the task required less concentration, that the pilot said, that he relaxed and fell asleep.

The student made a normal approach for landing in calm wind conditions. As the aircraft touched down on the airstrip it bounced and ballooned to about three feet above the ground. The student unexpectedly pushed the control stick forward. Before the instructor could completely counteract the student's control input the aircraft impacted the ground with the nose cone and the mainwheels simultaneously.

The pilot had been conducting a series of joy flights, as part of a school fund raising program. Refuelling equipment was positioned some 100 metres from the passenger loading area. The pilot had offered to take two boys with him as he air-taxied the aircraft prior to refuelling. After take-off from the passenger area, the pilot decided to carry out a short local flight, but as he turned back towards the fuel dump, the engine lost power. The pilot was unable to reach a cleared area and attempted to land in a street. The helicopter collided with trees, then struck the roof of a house before coming to rest on its side in the driveway of the house. During joy flight operations, the pilot did not rely on the fuel gauge inside the aircraft. He briefed an assistant, who relayed information relating to the fuel remaining by reference to sight gauges on the fuel tanks. There had evidently been a communication breakdown between the assistant and the pilot as to the amount of fuel remaining prior to the last joyflight. The subject flight had been made on the spur of the moment, in order to give two handicapped children an opportunity to see their school from the air. The engine had failed from fuel exhaustion while the aircraft was over an area which was unsuitable for a forced landing.

The helicopter took off and entered a hover in ground effect before a climbing turn to the left was initiated from approximately 10 feet above ground level(agl). Immediately the turn was commenced the helicopter started to lose mainrotor rpm. The terrain drops away from the heli-pad and the helicopter was now 35 to 40 feet agl. The pilot attempted to regain rotor rpm by lowering the collective and increasing throttle, however, RPM was not regained and the helicopter continued in the descent until ground impact. The pilot was interviewed by an Examiner of Airmen who was of the opinion that the symptoms described by the pilot indicated that the mainrotor was overpitched during the climbing turn.

During the landing roll the aircraft started to veer right. The pilot under check applied sufficient rudder to correct the swing but then applied excessive left rudder and considerable power and the aircraft swung sharply left. The left wing and elevator tips contacted the ground whilst the instructor was regaining control. The pilot under check had not flown a tail wheel aircraft for five months.

Circumstances:

The pilot was conducting mustering operations and had the aircraft configured with 10 degrees of flap. While manoeuvring in a tight left turn at about 100 feet above ground level, the aircraft suddenly flicked inverted and had rolled through almost 360 degrees when it struck the ground. The pilot had about 40 hours mustering experience. This accident was not the subject of an on-scene investigation.

Circumstances:

The pilot had previously experienced difficulty with directional control on landing. He had been given additional training in crosswind landing techniques on the day prior to the accident and had performed to a satisfactory standard. On the subject flight, the pilot carried out a normal approach and touchdown with a slight crosswind from the right. During the ground roll while still travelling at about 25 knots, the pilot lost directional control and the aircraft ground looped to the right. During the ground loop the left wheel broke off and hit the left wing strut.

Circumstances:

The pilot had been operating in support of mustering operations and had landed a number of times to liaise with the mustering party. The pilot advised that he refuelled to full tanks from a drum that morning, but he was confused as to the fuel capacity of the aircraft as the figure " 98 litres " was written near each tank cap. During the return to the mustering yard the engine failed, and power could only be restored momentarily before a forced landing was necessary. The aircraft touched down in scrubland, collided with a stump and subsequently overturned. Discussions with the pilot revealed that he had not kept an accurate check on his fuel usage and had overestimated the endurance.

Circumstances:

The owner pilot carried out a pre-flight check of the aircraft, which included a check of the fuel for contamination. The aircraft had last been refuelled at Maitland, prior to the flight to "Roeta". The weather was reported as fine and clear, with a temperature of about 35 degrees Celsius. The wind was from the southwest at about 5 knots. The gravel strip was level and estimated to be about 3000 feet in length. The pilot said he used the strip on numerous occasions over the past 10 years in this, and other aircraft. Take-off was conducted into wind, using the full length of the strip. Although engine power indications and acceleration appeared normal, the pilot said he was aware that the aircraft appeared to require a greater distance to reach take-off speed. He attributed this to the outside air temperature. At an indicated airspeed of 60 knots, with inadequate strip length remaining to safely abort the take-off, the aircraft was flown off the ground. This was followed by an immediate and complete loss of engine power. Maximum flap was extended and the aircraft landed on the strip remaining. The aircraft continued beyond the strip end, across a road and associated table drain, before coming to rest. Although the reason for the loss of power was not established, water contamination of the fuel is considered by the pilot to be a strong possibility. The aircraft is fitted with bladder type fuel cells which can harbour water not easily detectable. The aircraft had had little use over the previous three months, during which time it had been parked in the open on level surfaces. On the two days prior to the accident the aircraft had been parked on a slope. It is considered by the pilot that water could have migrated from low points in the fuel cells to a position where it may have been ingested by the engine, resulting in a sudden loss of power.

During the pre-take off checks the student found the carburettor heat control could be pulled out further than usual and that there was no rpm drop associated with the application of hot air. On take-off the aircraft was slow to accelerate. It became airborne and was observed to enter a gentle right turn. A wing dropped and the aircraft impacted the ground. Investigation revealed that due to excessive wear, the carburettor heat control cable had failed at the attach point with the actuating bellcrank. The air hose between the muffler and the carburettor hot air box had collapsed internally. The combination of the carburettor heat control failure in the "hot" position and the obstruction of the alternate air source led to the loss of engine power during take-off. Shortly afterwards the aircraft stalled over flat open country.