December 15 2005
Wild weather continues to plague the light aircraft industry this time claiming an 8-seat Airvan as it's latest "victim"
On Queensland's Sunshine Coast this OZ designed and built (in Victoria) GA8 Airvan - operated by Air Fraser Island - was slammed up against a hangar during a wild storm that passed through the area - the operator
was trying to hangar the machine at the time but was too late after strong winds grabbed the machine and tossed it up against the door
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"The eight-seat GA8 Airvan has been operating on QLD's Fraser Island since January 2001 and takes around 70 people a day for scenic flights of the area departing from the beach"
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The GA8 is manufactured by the Gippsland Aeronautics company who produce one aircraft each two weeks from their Latrobe Valley base
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Media:- Local TV Capture and Gippsland Aeronautics
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December 21 2005
68-year-old retired geophysicist from Kangaroo Point in Brisbane lost his life after his home-built self-launching single-seat TST-3 TM Alpin glider impacted the ground attempting to land at Caboolture Airport north-west of Archerfield
The pilot - John Everest - "was returning from his weekly flight around the Glass House Mountains and Kilcoy when he turned his glider towards the runway stalled and spun into the ground"
"He was a very safe and competent pilot but had erred in trying to turn his glider around - He was too low and slow - you're better off just to crash your plane somewhere under control than to turn when it's too slow and stall the wing"
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Images captured from local TV footage indicate the motor was not deployed for the landing
Once launched and flown to thermal-generating height - a few thousand feet above the ground - the motor is stowed and is not normally required or used again as it's main purpose is to launch the glider - it's called a "Self-Launching" glider for this reason
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The News Desk considers this accident to be as a result of "excessive G-pull" close to the ground - it can render any flying machine uncontrollable - refer Safety Link on main navigation page and the "Old Dog
Pilot Safety Hints" - or to view the Low-Level Turns narration page direct click HERE
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Media:- The Courier-Mail
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In-Flight Break-Up in USA - Grumman Mallard Wing Separation Kills 20 POB
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December 21 2005
In the USA a 58-year-old Grumman G-73T "re-engined" twin-engine Turbine Mallard flying-boat with 20 POB had an engine explode and catch fire causing a "separation of a wing from the aircraft"
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The regional airline has been operating between Miami and the Bahamas since 1919 and had never suffered a fatal accident involving passengers before - it did however have one of it's aircraft crash on take-off in 1994 that killed both pilots
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The radial-engine aircraft had been "retro-fitted in the mid-1980's with turbines and had new engines"
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Media:- AirWise
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The GA8 is manufactured by the Gippsland Aeronautics company who produce one aircraft each two weeks from their Latrobe Valley base; "Click to Enlarge")
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