Accident near Capel WA

[JAL]

I just saw this news article on the ABC News website. Happened a couple of hours ago.

I cant tell what type of gyro but I cant see the rotor or mast anywhere. I hope the pilot is OK.

[mad max]

A brother of a friend was an eye witness. Claims there was an 'explosion' and the blades came off at 'high altitude'

[Brian]

Tragic, seen the news footage & you can see the mast is gone. Wonder what the "explosion " was caused by ? Could rotors hitting the fuselage sound like an explosion ? Sincere condolences to two families that have lost their loved ones.

[mad max]

To a non aviation observer the sound of rotor strike could be interpreted as an 'explosion'. From what I observe in photos it looks like a Titanium. I may be wrong.

[JAL]

There was a close up picture of it being lifted out of the water. The mast is broken off just above some plates that are bolted about midway up the mast. I have never seen plates like this on gyro before but looks like it might be something that allows the mast to fold.

[BrownBMB]

JAL, the Titanium (TAG) can be fitted with a folding mast option.
Safety Directive No 2018.01 on the ASRA page addresses this following another fatal accident last year.
Condolences to the families involved.

[JAL]

This has become front page news here in WA with further full two page spread inside. The commentary is not very helpful and bordering on calling for gyros to be banned.

[micumo]

Safety Directive No 2018.01 bans the flight of Titanium Gyros with folding masts - what am I missing here?

[Brian]

Safety Directive No 2018.01 bans the flight of Titanium Gyros with folding masts - what am I missing here?

Put very simply, most pilots couldn't give a rip about AD's ! I'm not even sure that non FW pilots understand the relevance of AD's eve .

[Brian]

Personally, I dislike folding masts & would never fly in a gyro with a folding mast full stop. There's lots of pressures happening in a mast & I'm not sure we have a full understanding of what happens fully in a mast. Would be interesting to get Tim MClures opinion of them . I do know that they "wear out " Thats a fact ! in my old suby 2.2 machine, 1500 hours for a mast was too much. I'm not suggesting wearing out is a factor here, just mentioning that masts have a lot of stresses applied to them .

[RossM]

Always sad when anyone loses a life.
The Safety Directive is still in force, and all TAG with the folding mast are grounded as at 1 November 2018
The news in QLD said that the two are father and son.

As the beach where the accident occurred is a popular beach with lots of people around. ASRA is keen to find any photos of videos that onlookers may have taken to assist with the investigation.
Please contact ASRA by email at incidentmanager@asra.org.au if you can assist

Condolences on behalf of the ASRA

[RossM]

Hi micumo (Peter),
The grounding order (for TAG with the folding mast option) was issued on 1 November.
TAG Aviation was advised of this AD.
I believe that overseas distributer were also advised.
All folding mast owners (in Australia) received copies of the grounding directive, and personal calls from the Operations Manager
In addition, the Directive was posted on the ASRA website.
This AD is still in force, and since the accident, all owners have been contacted AGAIN.

Cheers...Ross

[micumo]

Thanks Ross,

Is there an update on the Orange incident?

[RossM]

I have not been advised on any more about the Orange accident.
I guess more information will be available once the investigation is finished.

[aussie_paul]

Personally, I dislike folding masts & would never fly in a gyro with a folding mast full stop. There's lots of pressures happening in a mast & I'm not sure we have a full understanding of what happens fully in a mast. Would be interesting to get Tim MClures opinion of them . I do know that they "wear out " Thats a fact ! in my old suby 2.2 machine, 1500 hours for a mast was too much. I'm not suggesting wearing out is a factor here, just mentioning that masts have a lot of stresses applied to them .

Sorry you feel that way re folding masts Brian. Having done several thousand hours personally in well engineered folding masts, and hundreds of thousands of hours around the world accumulated in gyros with well engineered folding masts masts your comments are IMHO irresponsible.

Aussie Paul.

[JAL]

The latest ABC coverage was more balance than the West Australian newspaper. They quoted a CASA spokesman who said that gyros were a safe and simple aircraft that are restricted to only flying away from built up areas and people.

Unfortunately the West Australian went the other way devoting pages on the incident saying these aircraft are use for tourist flights and are the most dangerous to fly in Australia and it made fairly obvious inference that it was lucky that no-one on the ground was killed. A real hack job.

If the gyro is subject to the AD then regardless of the cause it is unbelievably sad.

[tonydenton]

jurno's have no integrity, after an accident I had many years ago, I spoke to 2 reporters separately and we had an agreement [ and a hand shake too ] THE HAND SHAKE AGREEMENT MEANT NOTHING TO THEM.. they just want to sell news papers.
best to let it be. todays fish and chips is on yesterdays news paper. something else will come along for them to report.
the political jurnos confuse me. they seem to get off on all the bad crap that goes on, you can almost see their excitement . it can be hardship or waste of millions or mostly billions now a days..
laugh at what politicians do and do wrong so well. .
in my opinion anyway.

[Brian]

Paul, my comments re folding masts is a personal view, nothing more.

[micumo]

The ASRA Board Accident Statement makes chilling reading.