During the take-off roll the right mainwheel entered an area of soft sand and sank to a depth of 230 mm. The resultant loads applied to the scissor link caused it to fail and the wheel swivelled through 180 degrees. This in turn produced flexing of the gear leg, the downlock disengaged, and the leg collapsed. The aircraft swerved to the right and came to rest just outside the flight strip. The pilot and the operating company were aware that soft areas were present on the strip. The pilot had landed and departed again during the morning without undue problems, and had made an uneventful landing shortly before this particular take-off attempt. However, on this occasion wind conditions dictated a take-off in the opposite direction to that employed earlier in the day and a soft area was encountered at a speed of about 50 knots.

The pilot had not flown the aircraft for more than two months. The destination was a private strip where he had arranged to undertake aerobatics practice. The owner of the strip, who was on-site for the pilot's arrival, advised him by radio to land into the north-east as the surface wind was down the strip at 10 - 15 knots. The pilot flew one circuit with a touch-and-go landing and assessed the strip condition as satisfactory. On the second approach the strip owner observed the aircraft not to be on the ground until about two thirds to three quarters of the strip length. The pilot reported that, because of the reduced forward view in the three point attitude, he was unsure of how far he was from the end when he touched down. However, shortly after touchdown he noticed that the aircraft was running through a waterlogged area and he then saw an electric fence ahead, marking the end of the strip. He applied full power in an attempt to go around but the aircraft swung left, striking a fencepost with the lower left wing tip. The aircraft travelled a further 81 metres before coming to rest near the top of a one metre high embankment. Although the total strip length was some 600 metres, rising ground, trees, a power line at the approach end, and a wet area at the other end, reduced the effective length such that that it was not suitable for the operation of the aircraft.

Circumstances:

After a gear down selection the nose gear "down-and-locked" indicator light failed to come on. Further efforts to obtain a down and locked indication were unsuccessful. Ground observers confirmed that the nose landing gear had failed to extend. The pilot elected to make a wheels up landing on the runway. After touch down the aircraft skidded off the runway and came to rest on its belly in soft grass. Advice was subsequently received that no positive cause could be found for the landing gear extension failure.

While conducting a local soaring flight to the north-east of Bacchus Marsh Aerodrome the pilot noticed rain approaching from the west on a broad front. He then noted that heavy rain was falling on the aerodrome but the area to the south-west of the aerodrome appeared to be clearing up. The pilot flew the aircraft towards the clear area and prepared to join the circuit for a landing on strip 27. The pilot reported that he encountered rain and heavy sink all the way back to the circuit area. He joined the circuit turning crosswind earlier than normal. Strong drift and sink were encountered so the pilot immediately turned onto final approach. He reported that when established on final approach at 75 knots the aircraft was not penetrating at all. It was then apparent that the aircraft was not going to get to the field. The pilot turned the aircraft left towards the south to avoid the aerodrome boundary fence but there were no paddocks ahead suitable for a landing. He kept the turn going until the aircraft was heading in an easterly direction away from the aerodrome to make a downwind landing. When he released the airbrakes the aircraft immediately descended rapidly. The pilot said that he could not arrest the descent and the aircraft hit the ground very heavily and broke up. This accident was not the subject of an on-site investigation.

Circumstances:

During the early part of the landing roll, the pilot felt a thump through the airframe. After the landing he inspected the landing gear but did not find any damage. The early morning sun had interfered with the pilot's clear vision of the strip. Several months later, when the aircraft was undergoing a routine periodic inspection, severe damage was found. The right main gear lower attach point was twisted. The lower wing skin and internal ribs were rippled, requiring replacement of the right wing. The Licenced Aircraft Maintenance Engineer said that the external damage was not obvious.

It was reported that the pilot who had relatively little experience was landing in light crosswind conditions. One wingtip contacted the ground and the glider then landed heavily in a nose-low attitude.

The pilot-under-check was conducting his first circuit in the aircraft as part of a conversion onto the type. On final approach he realised that he had not selected carburettor heat, and moved to apply this control. However, he inadvertently pulled out the mixture control and all engine power was lost. Both pilots tried to return the mixture control to the full rich position, but found that the control could not be moved. The approach was being conducted in strong wind conditions and the instructor assessed that the airfield was beyond safe gliding range. He took control and turned the aircraft towards a cleared area. However, the aircraft overshot this area and collided with trees before coming to rest in a ditch. Examination of the mixture control revealed that the cable had broken due to metal fatigue. However, the cause of this fatigue was not positively determined.

After flying in the local area for a time, the pilot entered a long straight-in final approach for the easterly strip he had used for take-off. From a distance he observed that the wind was a light southerly. Following a slight bounce on touchdown, braking was initiated but the aircraft seemed to be travelling faster than normal. The pilot, believing that he had landed with a tail-wind, turned the aircraft to the north-east to increase the landing roll available. The aircraft overran the area into a fence and firebreak. The approach speed used was 12 knots faster than that recommended in the landing chart. The bounced landing, slippery grass surface and use of other than maximum braking increased the stopping distance required. The direction of turn chosen by the pilot to increase his stopping distance was downhill and with a tailwind component. The presence of telephone lines at the end of the strip precluded a go-around.

The pilot was conducting superphosphate spreading operations in fine and clear weather conditions. The paddock being treated sloped uphill, and there were heavily timbered peaks beyond the paddock. The pilot had spread the paddock the previous day under similar conditions. On this occasion the aircraft was apparently performing normally as the first swath run was completed, but the aircraft did not appear to gain any appreciable height as it approached the hills. It was then seen to adopt a steep nose-up attitude and commence a wingover type manoeuvre. During this manoeuvre the aircraft struck trees and then impacted the ground. A fierce fire broke out and engulfed the wreckage. Although the investigation was hampered by the extensive fire damage, no defect or malfunction was discovered which might have contributed to the accident. The reason the pilot, who had extensive agricultural experience, chose to conduct swath runs towards steeply rising ground was not determined. The wind direction had changed since the previous day, and the aircraft was likely to have been affected by downdrafts on the lee side of the hills. When the pilot realised the aircraft was not performing as expected, he evidently attempted to dump the remaining load and reverse the direction. However, there was insufficient aircraft performance available to successfully complete this manoeuvre.

Circumstances:

The aircraft had previously been parked for maintenance in a relatively confined area between two hangars. It was close to and facing a fence, in a position which did not allow sufficient room for a U-turn to taxi out. The grass surface was boggy after rain. The pilot sought assistance from a person in an adjoining hangar but there was no suitable tow bar, and the two could not manhandle the aircraft. The pilot then reversed the aircraft out until the wheels reached a small ridge at the edge of the taxiway. From this position there was then room to make a U-turn to the right. The pilot initially turned the aircraft slightly left to give himself more room before turning right. However, when he applied right rudder and brake, the aircraft failed to respond and continued ahead, sliding on the slippery surface. It then collided with a brick wall, damaging the nose cone and left wingtip and causing considerable damage to the wall.