Runway excursion

The pilot was conducting solo circuit training. During a touch-and-go landing the aircraft landed heavily and bounced. The pilot attempted unsuccessfully to go-around, but the aircraft ran off the runway before coming to rest. The pilot was inexperienced on tailwheel aircraft.

The pilot was carrying out his first solo flight. During the landing he lost directional control and the aircraft left the runway. The nose gear collapsed and the propeller struck the ground.

The pilot initiated a take-off after last light utilising the headlights of a parked motor vehicle to light part of the strip. Added to the poor lighting available, the windscreen of the aircraft became partially fogged, reducing the pilot's view in the proposed take-off direction. During the take-off run the aircraft began to veer to the left and, although the pilot attempted to abandon the take-off, it ran off the strip and struck a fence.

The aircraft was being flown by a student conducting solo circuit practice. During the ground roll following the second landing the pilot lost directional control of the aircraft. The aircraft ran off the right of the runway into soft ground and turned through 90 degrees before coming to rest against a ditch. The propeller and nose gear received damage.

The pilot travelled to his property on a regular basis. As seven inches of rain had fallen in the previous five days, the strip on the pilot's property was unserviceable due to the surface being soft. The pilot decided to land on a nearby strip which had a gravel surface and was not rain affected. This strip was aligned north south.

On arrival overhead the strip, the pilot assessed the wind velocity as westerly at 10 knots and gusty. He positioned the aircraft to land into the north. After touchdown the aircraft was struck by a severe wind gust which caused the aircraft to become airborne, bank to the right and drift to the right off the gravel surface. The aircraft touched down on soft cultivated land and overturned.

Shortly after commencing the take-off the aircraft made an uncommanded turn to the right and ran off the sealed runway. Before the aircraft could be brought to a stop the left propeller was damaged as it struck a T-VASIS box.

The crew had deactivated the nosewheel steering system during the early portion of the take-off, in accordance with standard operating procedures. An extensive investigation by the operator and manufacturer did not disclose the cause of the uncommanded turn.

The manufacturer recommended, and the operator has adopted, a modified procedure aimed at avoiding a repetition of this incident.

Both pilots had extensive time on DC3 aircraft earlier in their flying careers. The First Officer had been re-validated on type after recent asymmetric checking. On Saturday 20 March the Captain flew the aircraft to Warrnambool with 24 passengers and an engineer on board. A normal landing was made on runway 13 with a crosswind of about 10 knots. The following afternoon the crew went to the airport at about 1415 hours for the return flight to Melbourne. They loaded the luggage and completed a preflight inspection. There was plenty of time to do these tasks prior to the planned departure. The passenger load was similar to that on the previous day's flight. The First Officer was to fly the aircraft from the left seat. The wind was from about 020 degrees at 12-14 knots and the weather was fine. Runway 31 was selected for take-off. The tail wheel lock was engaged and the take off commenced with into wind aileron and leading with the into wind throttle. Initially the aircraft was tracking straight down the centre of the runway. As the tail was lifted a mild swing to the right developed. This was corrected with left rudder but an over correction followed with the aircraft veering towards the left side of the runway. Approaching the runway intersection, the Captain came on the controls and checked that the autopilot was switched off. A correction was made and the left wheel was in the air. The aircraft left the sealed area and leap frogged gables at the runway intersection. The Captain took full control and closed the throttles. The aircraft was steered back onto the runway where it was brought to a stop. On taxy back to the terminal area it was noted the tail wheel steering and brakes functioned normally. An inspection showed that the left wingtip and aileron had been damaged by ground contact. The First Officer had not done a cross wind take off on the type for 24 years.

After an uneventful landing, the aircraft veered to the left and ran off the side of the runway, despite the correcting control inputs from the pilot. The left wheel entered soft dirt and swung the aircraft further to the left, causing it to head towards an earthen bank. The pilot prevented the aircraft from hitting the bank by ground looping the aircraft, which damaged the aircraft by placing excessive side loads on the undercarriage. The pilot was familiar with the aircraft, and the wind was light and variable.

During a touch and go landing, the student pilot lost directional control and the aircraft veered off the runway to the right. The aircraft hit part of the TVASIS installation.

The aircraft was being employed as a tug to launch gliders. On this occasion, the tug, with the glider in tow, commenced take-off with a crosswind from the right of about 10-15 knots.

Before the tug reached flying speed it began to veer left. The pilot was unable to correct the swing and the glider, which was now airborne, released the tow. The tug ground looped to the left, dislodging the right main landing gear and damaging the right wing and nose cowl. The glider landed on the runway without further incident.