Collision with terrain

The pilot was participating in a "ridge soaring camp". After becoming airborne the glider was flown at low level in a south-westerly direction along the ridge line, about 200 feet above the ridge. The pilot then turned the aircraft left towards the ridge in an attempt to gain lift. No lift was gained and the aircraft descended. The pilot then raised the nose of the aircraft to clear the ridge but the right wing struck a tree. The aircraft slewed to the right and descended down the ridge line before impacting the ground. The pilot had intended to turn back towards the ridge but delayed this turn to allow her passenger to take a photograph. The resultant flight path took the aircraft into an area of sink on the leeward side of the ridge. The pilot usually flew the glider from the front cockpit but due to centre of gravity considerations she had to use the rear cockpit which somewhat restricted her forward vision. The volume of the variometer, which was fitted in the front cockpit, was turned down so as not to disturb the passenger, however this action also deprived the pilot of immediate indication of changes in lift. This accident was not the subject of an on-site investigation.

The pilot received a weather briefing before departing Townsville which indicated that the weather enroute was unsuitable for flight under the Visual Flight Rules. After being issued with a clearance to enter Cairns control zone no further transmissions were received from the aircraft and it failed to arrive at Cairns. The wreckage of the aircraft was located in rain forest on the lower southern slopes of the south peak of the Bellenden Ker Range. The weather in the area at the time was reported as low cloud with heavy rain. The pilot was not qualified for flight in other than visual meteorological conditions. Investigation revealed that the aircraft was serviceable prior to impact. Witnesses reported that they observed the aircraft passing in and out of the cloud base, which was at about 800 feet. They saw the aircraft tracking in a northwesterly direction towards high ground which rose to 4000 feet amsl. The wreckage was discovered at an elevation of 680 feet amsl. The pilot was known to have urgent business commitments and this may have influenced his decision to continue the flight in unsuitable weather conditions.

After lift-off at 85 knots, the pilot noted a positive rate of climb before retracting the landing gear and flaps. He then felt the aircraft sink and noted a high indicated rate of descent. Although full power was applied the descent continued until the aircraft struck the runway in a slightly nose-up attitude. The aircraft slid across the overrun area and through a fence before coming to rest. Fire broke out and engulfed the wreckage. At the time of the accident the aircraft weight was more than 200 kg above the maximum allowable and the centre of gravity was 142 mm forward of the forward limit. The pilot had been unable to retain control of the aircraft during the initial climb phase when the flaps were retracted at a relatively low airspeed.

During spraying operations the engine suffered a partial power loss. The pilot initiated dumping of the hopper load but was unable to prevent the aircraft from striking the ground heavily. The landing gear collapsed and the aircraft slid for about 50 metres before coming to rest. The reported power loss had occurred during a procedure turn, the latter portion of which was downwind. No fault was subsequently found with the engine, however it was considered likely that the aircraft was affected by downdraughts in the lee of a hill. When dumping was initiated, the pilot's left sleeve had probably caught on the throttle lever and pulled it towards the closed position.

The aircraft was engaged in night spraying of cotton crops. The pilot had completed about two and one half hours work on two properties, with a short break between tasks, before arriving at 'Ginidgeree'. The night was clear but dark, with a barely discernible horizon on certain headings. The marker vehicles had assumed their positions at each end of the first spraying run when the aircraft arrived over the paddock. Believing the markers to be incorrectly positioned, the pilot elected to fly orbits over the paddock while clarifying his orientation. After several orbits the pilot accepted the marker positions, and the aircraft departed to the north to begin the approach for the first spraying run. During the turn to intercept the inbound track, the aircraft struck a tree then impacted the ground and continued forward for 130 m, shedding components and starting a fire. The pilot suffered minor injuries and evacuated the burning wreckage without assistance. The aircraft had struck the tree in a gentle descent during the turn. The pilot, believing that the aircraft was flying level, did not notice the descent as he was concentrating on lining up for the first spraying run. The pilot held a Commercial Pilot Licence which had been endorsed for night spraying six days earlier. He had about 700 hours experience in agricultural flying, including about 50 hours of night spraying, in Ag waggon and Air tractor aircraft. At the time of the accident, the pilot was wearing overalls, boots, a high-quality helmet and was tightly strapped into his seat. Damage to the helmet indicated multiple impacts including at least one of extreme severity. In laboratory tests conducted overseas, a force of over 300 g was required to produce damage similar to that on the helmet. It is almost certain that, without the helmet, the pilot would not have survived the accident.

Significant Factors:

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

1. The night was dark with a barely discernible horizon on certain headings.

2. The pilot, although qualified in night spraying, was relatively inexperienced in the role.

3. While executing an inbound turn for the first spraying run, the pilot did not realise that the aircraft was gently descending.

The pilot had only recently acquired the hanglider from an acquaintance and was being assisted by two friends to learn to fly the aircraft. Neither the pilot nor his friends had any previous flying experience and there was no evidence that the pilot had joined or contacted the local hangliding association for assistance. Permission of the landowner was gained for use of the property and the pilot chose a hill which had a large dam, fence and power lines at the bottom. Several short flights were made by the pilot prior to the accident flight and his friends helped him carry the glider to the top of the hill for launching. On the final flight, the pilot was seen to be taken higher than before by a gust of wind and to have some difficulty with directional control. As a result, the pilot was seen to make a controlled landing but in the centre of the dam. His helpers ran to his aid and reported seeing movement under the wing fabric of the glider before it sank. This activity they assumed was the pilot attempting to free himself from the harness of the glider. The helpers dived into the water to attempt a rescue but were forced to return to the bank for fear of being overcome by the intense cold of the water. The glider was recovered soon after but the pilot was not in the harness which was still attached to the frame of the glider. The body of the pilot was recovered later by the police and the post mortem found that the pilot had died from freshwater drowning.

Circumstances:

Earlier in the day the pilot had flown from Bankstown to Taree with an intermediate landing at Warnervale. Before departing Taree, the pilot said the oil quantities were checked for both engines and found to be adequate for the return flight to Bankstown via Warnervale. The track to Warnervale was via the coastal route of the Williamtown military control zone (CTR) at 500 ft. Leaving the CTR, the pilot initiated a cruise climb to 3,000 ft. Passing 700 ft, the left engine began to vibrate and lost power. The engine was shut down and the climb continued to 1,500 feet. The pilot decided to continue to Warnervale rather than divert to RAAF Williamtown which was closer. He unsuccessfully attempted to restart the left engine whilst tracking to Warnervale. On arrival, the aircraft was positioned to join the circuit on an oblique left base for runway 20. As the aircraft passed over the threshold with the landing gear and full flap extended, the pilot applied full power and commenced a missed approach when he assessed the aircraft was too high and too fast. The rate of climb was less than anticipated following gear and flap retraction and when it became apparent the aircraft might collide with trees beyond the southern boundary of the airstrip, the pilot elected to land wheels-up on the overrun. The aircraft slid along swampy ground and collided with a large eucalypt log. During a subsequent strip examination, it was determined the left engine oil quantity was low. Glazing was also observed in several cylinder bores. As the engine design incorporated hydraulic tappets, it is considered probable that the low oil quantity affected the operation of the tappets and caused the vibration and loss of power. The reason for the apparent rapid loss of oil from the left engine after DEPARTURE Taree was not determined.

Significant Factors:

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

1. Vibration and loss of power in flight from the left engine which required the engine to be shut down.

2. The pilot failed to divert to the most suitable airport.

3. The pilot misjudged height and speed on approach to runway 20.

4. The pilot attempted a single engine missed approach from an unsafe height.

Circumstances:

The aircraft was observed to take off normally and climb to about 200 feet above ground level. Shortly after passing beyond the end of the strip, an apparent change in aircraft engine noise was heard by witnesses. The aircraft was then seen in a steep nose-down, inverted attitude. It remained in this attitude until ground impact. On site examination showed that the aircraft had struck the ground in an inverted nose-down attitude of 35 degrees. No fault was found in the aircraft or its systems which might have contributed to the accident. The engine was operating at impact. Witnesses reported that the pilot had complained of chest pains both on the morning of the accident and the previous evening. The postmortem report on the pilot indicated that, if other causes of the accident were excluded, there was sufficient chronic heart disease present for sudden heart failure or sudden death to have been likely events.

Significant Factors:

The following factor was considered relevant to the development of the accident:

1. The pilot probably became incapacitated during flight, causing control of the aircraft to be lost.

The Taroom aerodrome had recently been equipped with a pilot activated lighting (PAL) system which was due to be commissioned on the evening of 15 October 1988. The pilot, who is a local Council member had flown from his property "Kolane" to Taroom late in the afternoon, to check that the PAL system was functional. He had intended to fly to Taroom the following evening to activate the lights for the official opening celebration, which was planned to be held at the aerodrome. After checking that the system was working the pilot decided to take the opportunity to practice some night circuits and landings before returning to his property. Before departing Taroom he arranged to have two vehicles positioned at his property landing area to illuminate the strip which is 850 metres long, aligned 235/055 degrees magnetic, and 1000 feet above sea level. He apparently intended to check the suitability of the strip for a night landing on his return. The aircraft was observed to fly over the strip in a north-easterly direction and then make a left turn. The aircraft was then seen to descend and the sound of impact was heard by the occupant of a vehicle near the strip. The aircraft had impacted the ground whilst in a descending left turn at a groundspeed of approximately 125 knots. Initial impact was in a clearing near trees. The aircraft slid 91 metres before the left wing struck a large tree and was torn off. The aircraft slid another 45 metres before coming to rest and catching fire. The pilot was thrown from the aircraft while still strapped to his seat and was able to move himself away from the immediate vicinity of the fire before help arrived. The pilot has no recollection of events immediately prior to the accident. There is no indication that the aircraft was not functioning normally at the time of the accident. The weather was fine, there was a light northerly breeze, and there was no moonlight. Indications are that the pilot may have become disorientated whilst attempting to carry out a visual circuit when there was no visual horizon. The landing area did not meet the requirements for night operations published in the Visual Flight Guide.

After having inspected a property, the pilot and his passengers returned to the aircraft to prepare for DEPARTURE. A storm was approaching the strip from the north and a 10 to 15 knot crosswind prevailed at the strip. A take-off into the east was commenced, the aircraft became airborne and as it crossed the upwind end of the strip, it was affected by a sudden gust of wind. The aircraft yawed to the right, lost altitude and struck the ground, before coming to rest in a ploughed paddock. At the time of the attempted take-off the location of the approaching storm was conducive to the presence of strong downdraughts or possibly microbursts in the vicinity of the strip. The pilot elected to commence the take-off because he was concerned that heavy rain at the strip would have rendered it unserviceable.