ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 161
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| Date: | Sunday 9 July 1995 |
| Time: | 09:30 |
| Type: | Airborne Edge |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | T2-2669 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Fawcetts Plain, Kyogle, NSW -
 Australia
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Kyogle, NSW |
| Kyogle, NSW | |
| Investigating agency: | BASI |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The aircraft was one of a group of powered hang gliders operating from a 900-m grass strip aligned east-west. The group had arrived at the strip the previous morning. That afternoon, the pilot flew the aircraft with a passenger on a cross-country flight. Earlier, the pilot took another passenger for a flight which included power-on and power-off stalls. The aircraft performed normally on both these flights. The group camped at the strip overnight and planned an early morning flight. However, the departure was delayed by fog. The aircraft had been left assembled overnight standing in the open. As a result, the wing had been wetted by condensation to the extent that beads of water had formed. Although the wing was exposed to direct sunlight for about 30 minutes before takeoff, it was reported to have still been wet, although not beaded, when the aircraft taxied for takeoff.
Conditions were suitable for flight by about 0930 EST. The understanding was that each aircraft would take off towards the west and climb straight ahead to 1,500 ft above ground level before flying back across the strip in an easterly direction. The accident aircraft was the first to take off. The wind was calm. The aircraft became airborne after a normal ground roll and climbed straight ahead. As the climb progressed, the aircraft followed the normal procedure of positioning about 80 ft above the right side of the strip. (This procedure is conducted so that, in the event of an engine failure, the aircraft is in a position to turn left to land back on the strip.) At an estimated 200 ft above ground level, the aircraft levelled and entered an abrupt right turn to head approximately north. At the same time, the engine noise decreased but then increased again as the aircraft began a shallow climb, still heading north. A short time later, the aircraft rolled sharply right to at least 45 degrees of bank and adopted a steep nose-low attitude. It then spiralled to the ground, completing about one and one-quarter turns before impact. Members of the group were in radio contact with one another. No transmissions were heard from the pilot during the take-off and accident sequence. Witnesses described the turn onto north and the subsequent turn as unusually abrupt. One witness, who flew a similar aircraft, considered that the turns would have required considerable physical effort from the pilot to manoeuvre the control bar towards his chest and to the left. The pilot was described as confident and reliable. There were no reports of him acting impulsively while flying. Assuming the aircraft was carrying full fuel for the flight, the calculated take-off weight was 387 kg. Maximum allowable take-off weight for the aircraft was 401 kg.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
ATSB Occurrence Nr. 199502099
https://www.atsb.gov.au/media/24713/ASOR199502099.pdf
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 21-Jan-2008 10:00 | ASN archive | Added |
| 03-Mar-2018 18:55 | Pineapple | Updated [Time, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Narrative] |
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