ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 63522
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| Date: | Wednesday 19 February 1958 |
| Time: | c. 07:20 |
| Type: | Edgar Percival EP-9 |
| Owner/operator: | Manawatu Aerial Topdressing Co Ltd |
| Registration: | ZK-BDP |
| MSN: | 22 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Apiti Flats, Manawatu 2 -
 New Zealand
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Agricultural |
| Departure airport: | Fielding, Manawatu |
| Rangiwahia, Manawatu | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities |
C/no 22: EP.9 Built at Stapleford, Abridge, Essex by Edgar Percival Aircraft Ltd., as G-43-1 (1st user of this "B Class" registration). First production aircraft to fly, on 27.8.56. Revised tail wheel suspension. Delivered to New Zealand, arriving 15.10.56. Registered ZK-BDP to Manawatu Aerial Topdressing Co Ltd, Fielding 11.56. NZ C of A issued 12.11.56. Crashed at Apiti Flats, near Kimbolton, Manawatū-Whanganui, New Zealand 19.2.58
The aircraft took off from Feilding for Rangiwahia where a topdressing operation was to be carried out when the weather cleared. ZK-BDP was being flown by an experienced agricultural pilot who had begun his flying career in the RNZAF in August 1943.
The aircraft carried two passengers, both of them loader drivers employed by the Manawatu Aerial Topdressing Company Ltd. The customary route to Rangiwahia in the conditions of low cloud that prevailed on the morning of the accident was to follow the Oroua River as far as Apiti Flats where a reversal of course could be safely made if the visibility did not permit further flight to Rangiwahia. If the visibility was adequate then the river route would be left behind and the flight continued via hilly country to Rangiwahia.
The surviving passenger, who was seated in the passenger seat aft of the hopper, reported that the flight proceeded normally to Apiti Flats where the aircraft altered course and began to head over the hills for Rangiwahia.
After about 6 minutes the passenger became aware that the vis. was deteriorating and he noticed the flaps being partially lowered and the airscrew being changed to fine pitch. Moments later the plane entered dense cloud and the flaps were lowered further and the engine noise increased noticeably. Within moments the passenger felt a high G loading which pinned him in his seat, and then a succession of severe impacts.
The Percival struck a sloping ridge at about 100 mph, and slid down the other side, ploughing though trees and undergrowth for a distance of 265 feet and breaking up on the way. Fuel from the ruptured starboard fuel tank was ignited and the wreckage began to burn.
The passenger in the rear compartment was able to extricate himself but both occupants in the pilot's cabin had been killed in the crash.
From the heading of the wreckage trail, 180 degrees magnetic, the investigators were able to conclude that the pilot had reversed course to get back to Apiti Flats, and the high G force reported by the survivor suggested that the pilot may have descended in order to regain visual contact with the ground and had stalled the aircraft in a sharp pull-up when he realised its proximity. The plane had struck the ground in a level flight attitude.
The accident report has the following conclusions :
" 23 (c). The pilot attempted to negotiate cloud-enveloped high country.
(d). The aircraft entered cloud and assumed a diving attitude .
(e). The pilot induced a high speed stall in an effort to avoid diving into the ground.
(f). The aircraft struck the ground in a stalled condition and nosed down a steep incline. "
=Fatalitiies=
David Ballard, pilot.
H.S. Carmichael, loader driver.
R.I.P.
Registration ZK-BDP cancelled 31.3.58.
Sources:
1. http://archway.archives.govt.nz/ViewEntity.do?code=7333
2. Civil Air Accident Report No. 25/3/927.
3. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/archive/Archive_1992.pdf p.92
4. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/archive/Archive_1987.pdf P.87
5. https://www.airhistory.net/photo/127078/ZK-BDP [photo dated November 1956]
6. https://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/photo/001033232.html [photo dated 9-11-56]
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C4%80piti
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 22-May-2009 12:58 | XLerate | Added |
| 27-May-2011 23:04 | angels one five | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Narrative] |
| 27-May-2011 23:09 | angels one five | Updated [Time, Location, Narrative] |
| 28-May-2011 19:36 | angels one five | Updated [Narrative] |
| 17-Apr-2013 06:18 | angels one five | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Narrative] |
| 06-Nov-2018 20:25 | angels one five | Updated [Aircraft type, Nature] |
| 27-Sep-2021 08:26 | Ron Averes | Updated [Location] |
| 22-Jan-2022 06:41 | Ron Averes | Updated [Aircraft type, Operator] |
| 13-Feb-2022 03:20 | Ron Averes | Updated [Location] |
| 18-Oct-2022 16:43 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category] |
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