ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 725
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| Date: | Thursday 16 February 2006 |
| Time: | 19:21 |
| Type: | PZL M-18A Turbine Dromader |
| Owner/operator: | Fred Fahey Aerial Services |
| Registration: | VH-FVF |
| MSN: | 1Z019-03 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | 20km SSW Cootamundra, NSW -
 Australia
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Fire fighting |
| Departure airport: | Wagga Wagga, NSW (WGA/YSWG) |
| Wagga Wagga, NSW (WGA/YSWG) | |
| Investigating agency: | ATSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
At about 19:22 Eastern Daylight-Saving Time on 16 February 2006, the pilot of a turbine PZL-Warszawa-Ockie M-18A, Dromader, registered VH-FVF, was fatally injured when the aircraft impacted terrain during fire-bombing operations approximately 20 km south-south-west of Cootamundra, NSW.
The aircraft was one of two fixed-wing fire-bombing aircraft that were despatched from Wagga Wagga to drop retardant on an active fire area east of Mount Ulandra. At about 1921, volunteer firemen working to the west of the fire area saw the Dromader and although they could not recall the sound of the aircraft, they reported that there was no unusual noise or change to the noise level to attract their attention.
The pilot was an experienced agricultural pilot with previous fire-bombing experience. Although he had considerable flying experience on radial-engine Dromader aircraft, and in other turbine agricultural aircraft, his total flying experience in the modified turbine Dromader was 4.7 hours. Prior to commencing fire-bombing duties two days before the accident, the pilot had not recorded any fire-bombing flights in the previous 3 years.
The pilots limited familiarity with the handling characteristics of the modified and heavily-loaded aircraft might not have allowed him adequate recognition of an impending stall. The pilot had not jettisoned the load of retardant when the aircraft stalled. The ensuing loss of control occurred at a height that did not permit recovery before the aircraft collided with the ground. The possibility that the pilot was distracted by a problem with the operation of the fire doors or some other activity could not be determined.
Subsequently, the state fire authority reviewed its minimum pilot experience levels for aerial fire suppression. The minimum aircraft type experience for fire-bombing pilots was made more specific to the type of aircraft. It also introduced a recency requirement for fire-bombing operations.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
1. http://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/2006/aair/aair200600851.aspx
2. https://www.pprune.org/pacific-general-aviation-questions/211523-fire-fighting-aircraft-crash.html
3. http://sosnews.org/pdf/Bushfire-Bombers.pdf
4. http://www.casa.gov.au/wcmswr/_assets/main/fsa/2008/feb/atsb.pdf
5. http://www.atsb.gov.au/media/1361508/aair200600851_001.pdf
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 21-Jan-2008 10:00 | ASN archive | Added |
| 26-Jan-2008 23:06 | Andrew Whitton | Updated |
| 27-Apr-2014 19:37 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Cn, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 15-Jul-2021 13:58 | harro | Updated [Aircraft type] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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