NZFF

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article....535&ref=rss

"The pilot of a light aircraft walked away uninjured after his aircraft crashed at Ardmore airfield, south of Auckland, this morning. The Cessna aircraft, belonging to Ardmore Flying School, crashed about 11am. Emergency workers said the aircraft was badly damaged and the pilot was shaken but not hurt."

Is it just the media focussing in on these aviation related events, or are we having a terrible few months for crashes? There seems to be a light aircraft "incident" almost every week now.

I don't like to comment on these things without any prior knowledge, but at least the pilot didn't end up in a lake of poo like the poor guy down in Thames

Trolly wrote:

QUOTE (Trolly @ Dec 4 2008, 02:35 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I don't like to comment on these things without any prior knowledge, but at least the pilot didn't end up in a lake of poo like the poor guy down in Thames

Ha ha, yeah Pooh, I mean poor bugger

It was EAT if anyone's interested.

Goose wrote:

QUOTE (Goose @ Dec 4 2008, 07:24 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

i have a fairly detailed description if anyone wants to hear it.

Of course we do!!

There are some pics here

Naki wrote:

QUOTE (Naki @ Dec 4 2008, 08:38 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

There are some pics here

Doesn't say whether the student was "solo". One would suppose he probably was

stalked it?? well thats two AFS aircaft in matter of months which are written off (i presume)..hope they have good insurance (or was the other 172 that landed in the poo a CTC aircraft?)

Isn't it lovely how people hear from an instructor downwind, and feel that must be the actual events. Being an instructor on the ground at the school in question, I know what did happen. And while some of what Goose has said (and i do know my colleague that would have been the one telling these storys) is true, other parts are not. Firstly the engine is nowhere near going thru the firewall (I know because I was over at the aircraft when it was on the grass, and I also have pics), Secondly the tail didnt "strike the ground first, which brought the nose down" it looked more as if the aircraft was stalled onto the runway, with the subsequent nose pitch.

I think it is best if things like this are kept fairly low-key especially when students are involved, one never knows who will browse this forum, imagine yourself if you were in the pilots position (I imagine he is feeling pretty s**t now, and wont be having the best nights sleep). People with little to no flying experience shouldn't speculate as to what happened, or what should have been differently, because this could happen to you when you come to learn how to fly. At the end of the day, AFS is a flying school, and accidents are bound to happen when training people, its just the nature of the industry (just like driving instructors probably expect a few crashes).

So everybody play nice, and stop playing chinese whispers, passing on 2nd hand info.

All I can say, is I hope the student involved today, isnt beating himself up, and isnt put off flying due to this one setback.

kiwiflyboy wrote:

QUOTE (kiwiflyboy @ Dec 4 2008, 10:30 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Isn't it lovely how people hear from an instructor downwind, and feel that must be the actual events. Being an instructor on the ground at the school in question, I know what did happen. And while some of what Goose has said (and i do know my colleague that would have been the one telling these storys) is true, other parts are not. Firstly the engine is nowhere near going thru the firewall (I know because I was over at the aircraft when it was on the grass, and I also have pics), Secondly the tail didnt "strike the ground first, which brought the nose down" it looked more as if the aircraft was stalled onto the runway, with the subsequent nose pitch.

I think it is best if things like this are kept fairly low-key especially when students are involved, one never knows who will browse this forum, imagine yourself if you were in the pilots position (I imagine he is feeling pretty s**t now, and wont be having the best nights sleep). People with little to no flying experience shouldn't speculate as to what happened, or what should have been differently, because this could happen to you when you come to learn how to fly. At the end of the day, AFS is a flying school, and accidents are bound to happen when training people, its just the nature of the industry (just like driving instructors probably expect a few crashes).

So everybody play nice, and stop playing chinese whispers, passing on 2nd hand info.

All I can say, is I hope the student involved today, isnt beating himself up, and isnt put off flying due to this one setback.

have removed, i was careful not to mention names and was just relaying what i had been told.

Which is fair enough, but nothing irks me more, than students sitting on the "al-fresco patio area" laughing and criticising people's landings on 03 days, and also when people start speculating as to causes of accidents, especially when these speculations are based on partial facts. (We all remember playing chinese whispers at school).

On the lighter side of things I get an extra $20 in my months pay due to todays events, making instructors attend a "Compulsory staff meeting" next week.

kiwiflyboy wrote:

QUOTE (kiwiflyboy @ Dec 4 2008, 09:39 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Which is fair enough, but nothing irks me more, than students sitting on the "al-fresco patio area" laughing and criticising people's landings on 03 days, and also when people start speculating as to causes of accidents, especially when these speculations are based on partial facts. (We all remember playing chinese whispers at school).

On the lighter side of things I get an extra $20 in my months pay due to todays events, making instructors attend a "Compulsory staff meeting" next week.

We are all humans that's what we do is speculating as to causes of accidents/incidents it happens even in my line of work you have Check Captains speculating to the cause of crashes! Just good people in these accidents are alive. This is what we do hours or no hours.
cheers
Blake

And another incident yesterday...

apparently a replica Polikarpov was doing high speed taxi trials on taxiway Juliet and the undercarriage collapsed

Hmm that's interesting, I saw a replica Polikarpov go past on a trailer yesterday when I was out at Ardmore, not sure if that was before or after the undercarriage collapse though.

FlyingKiwi wrote:

QUOTE (FlyingKiwi @ Dec 7 2008, 03:28 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hmm that's interesting, I saw a replica Polikarpov go past on a trailer yesterday when I was out at Ardmore, not sure if that was before or after the undercarriage collapse though.

Not sure how long it's been back to airworthy status, but I saw ZK-VVV lining up next to me two days ago at the 03 run-up area.
That thing is just engines with wings strapped on! Sounded pretty snazzy too

EDIT: I'm told there will be a feature article in the next issue of the 'Sport Flying' magazine!

It did its first test flight about a month or so ago.

FlyingKiwi wrote:

QUOTE (FlyingKiwi @ Jul 11 2009, 12:09 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It did its first test flight about a month or so ago.

...and unfortunately ground looped (I think) again yesterday afternoon at Ardmore. I was preflighting my aircraft just before 3pm when the alarm went off and the airfield was shut down- all the emergency services came over to VVV sitting half collapsed on the runway (now shifted to taxiway bravo I believe), and the ambulance left, sirens blaring about 10 minutes later. I don't know the details, or want to speculate- just wish the pilot all the best and hope to see that mean little Poly machine back in the air soon!

Just got a message from the pilot- who says the damage isn't too bad, just the right hand undercarriage leg and wing tip. Also he said that the engine and prop didn't hit the ground, as happened the first time so the plane is expected to be flying again in a week or two.

That's good to hear that the damage isn't too bad.

VVV was back in the air yesterday- still sounds awesome