Silver Falcons "Gooney Bird" missing

[Nkwazi]

Unconfirmed that "Gooney Bird", the support Dakota for the Silver Falcons is missing in the Drakensberg It doesn't look good weather wise. Godspeed to Santjie White and the search and rescue teams. Very, very sad

[Bundy]

Not looking good....

All we can do is hope....Sterkte Liewe Heksie, Stay safe SAR crews, we are all thinking of you.

[Alkemac]

Sadly, the wreck has been found...

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/ ... F-20121206

[Nkwazi]

Thoughts with the family and friends of the crew and pax. RIP

[nicow]

[topflight]

Just a few weeks ago I saw the "gooney" bird taking of at Swartkop and remembered the awesome display with the Silver Falcons at ADD. Very sad to hear that she went down. RIP fellow aviators.

[Blue Max]

Ja dit is BAIE sad.
En veral die verlies aan lewens wat met hierdie ongelukke gepaard gaan.
Nie te lank terug nie, so n maand of twee gelede lees ek dat n onbewame vlienier een van die land se Dakotas erg bekadig het gedurende n landing.
Dit het toe later aan die lig gekom dat die vlienier ( n vroulike vlienier) baie gesukkel het om haar vlieglisensie te verkry en toe ' maar uieindelik' wel die lisensie bekom het.!!!
Nou is die tweede Dekota ook daarmee heen.
Dit lyk amper of ons Dakotas dieselfde pad gaan as ons Renosters...
Is hierdie waardevolle bates in die hande van bewame mense??????????

[John Boucher]

Ek dink hierdie een was Blue Max.... Zach was beslis bekwaam

[Asterix]

In response to Blue Max - apparently these were competent long-time pilots, from what I have read on "the other forum" (Which is into page million on the topic)

These daks are OLD birds, and anything funny could have happened, leading to an inevitable drop in altitude in IMC, leading to a crash into the ground.

What keeps on haunting me is the following: I have heard / read, that for many many years, the KZN middlelands have been the claimer of the most aviation accidents in SA? Just look earlier this year with some deadly accidents in that area?

Is this area like our own version of the Bermuda triangle? I flew there once and it is was beautiful - but it seems like the weather changes instantly! Or was it the Drakensberg that claimed them?

[John Boucher]

I started a lengthy reply but watered it down... now now I look like a copier and paster

In 2009, I flew in the Presidents Trophy Air Race. One of the turning points was Barkly East. We had a roller coaster ride at 11000ft and descending at a rapid rate to get the turning point. We were tossed around in seemingly "acceptable" weather. The CAT was ferocious. One of the competitors in a C206 (pilot now deceased) cracked a vertebra when they were also tossed up and down.

Mountain flying is nie grappies nie and add IMC and the treacherous nature of the Drakensberg to that!

[John.com]

All very sad, and highlights the risks of flying into weather!!!

These photos of the crash site illustrate what looks to be hail damage to the control surfaces!

http://www.accidents.co.za/2012/12/06/b ... ad-photos/

[John.com]

Maybe this is a good chance for us all to brush up on the risks of thunderstorms!

http://www.pilotfriend.com/av_weather/meteo/thnder.htm

Safe Skies!

John.com

[John Boucher]

These photos of the crash site illustrate what looks to be hail damage to the control surfaces!

When I saw the footage on the news - those were my thoughts exactly

Also, the elevator seems "jammed" in the up position - I don't think the pilots had control the "Bird" any longer. Depending on the direction of flight, it looks as if
the dak went in at an angle (right-wing down)

Wrong place - Wrong time to be caught in a storm - she must have been like a feather in a tumble drier with golf balls tossed in for good measure....!

Extremely sad!

[John.com]

Highjack not intended . . . . 'just trying to get some learning out of this tragedy!

Mike Wissing (USA S&R Pilot) on Avcom (http://www.avcom.co.za/phpBB3/viewtopic ... &start=225) had this to say w.r.t. this tragic accident:

"There is never (or seldom) a single reason for a crash, rather, a series of events that lead to it. You all know, break any one of those links in the chain, and the accident could have been avoided. I have a lot of questions, but will not voice them at this time. Something, along the way, went very wrong. CFIT happens all too often. There is no shame landing in a farmers field somewhere because you ran out of options. Please pilots, practice your precautionary, and like a go-around, keep it in your box of tricks."

So, thanks Mike . . . . the take-away for us is this: We all need to be WELL-PRACTICED to do a precautionary or emergency landing at ANY TIME and ANYWHERE!

Question to all MPLers: When did you last practice precautionary or emergency landings?

May I suggest spending at least an hour every month doing THIS 12-Point Emergency Landing Training (always PAX-less):
1. Overfly the area first and make sure you have a good idea of any inherent risks (cables/trees/etc.)
2. Make a radio announcement on your intention to conduct simulated emergency landings in the area in which you are currently flying
3. Climb to and maintain 500ft AGL (this gives you enough time to respond, but forces QUICK action!)
4. Without any 'preparation', i.e. no pre-selection of landing area, cut your engine (to an idle - MAGS ON!!!!)
5. NOSE-DOWN: Pull Bar in for Airspeed . . . optimise glide ratio, maintain Vs + 5mph (If in climb, pull in FAST!)
6. RADIO: Make mock* Radio Call (124.800 & 121.500, if you can): "This is microlight XYZ conducting a emergency landing at (give area/location of distance/bearing from known point). Will announce on landing. Any aircraft, please acknowledge" *do not press PTT during practice
7. LOCATION & WIND: Look for an adequate landing area, whilst evaluating wind direction (try to land into wind, but a level/smooth landing area would probably take precedence over wind direction - the assumption being that you are not flying in high wind conditions) - plan turns to align with landing location - be prepared to 'side-slip' if overshooting!
8. SAFETY: Check Seatbelt and Helmet SECURE!
9. CABLES: Clear for Cables ALL THE WAY DOWN!!!! (as they can appear at any stage!) - even doing these simulated emergency landings cables can pose a significant risk!!
10. At 100ft AGL, apply a touch of power to ensure that your engine will respond to power-on at 5m AGL
11. ALIGN & SPEED: Line-Up, Pull Bar in for Speed, Start to Flare and Bleed Off Speed . . . . at 5m AGL, Power-On and Climb Out!
12. Then, climb to 500ft AGL, and repeat!

NB: Step 6 (RADIO) is often forgotten due to the stress of the situation and yet, if the landing goes wrong, this can be a life-saver in terms of getting medical assistance and support to you in that golden first hour!!

NB: One of the most difficult parts of this training is balancing the turns needed to align with the landing area and the altitude you will lose executing those turns! ONLY TRAINING can sharpen these skills!

After an hour of this training you should be mentally quite exhausted!

This will probably be the most important hour of training you do every month!!


Safe Skies!

John.com

Out of interest, this is the track of my emergency engine-out training last week! (flight tracking app = CloudAhoy.com on iPhone)

The left-most area was doing simulated engine-outs and landings on the new sections (now 90% built but not trafficked) of the Platinum Highway, allowing one to get the experience of a 'road-landing' without actually risking doing this training on an active road!

[Tumbleweed]

What I find distressing is the varying altitude readings as you go through different high and low pressures, besides the temperature fluctuation.

These guys were apparently on a flight level of 11 000 feet and the mountain peaks reach 10 500 ft.

I tried before to initiate a discussion, say flying above 1500 agl on QNH 1013 or IFR and reaching mountainous area at a high density altitude which effectively can put your altitude out by 2000 feet.

Say you on your trike on local QNH of 1020 allowing for a 1000 feet clearance over the mounatin top for turbulance and you're sharing the airspace with with faster bliks speaking to JHB info on QNH 1013.