Occurrences

Date	Occurrence #	Location	State	Aircraft	Model	Engine	Model	Summary
8/1/2017	OCC0893	Private Airfield approximately 20KM SE of Armidale Airport	NSW	Skyranger	V-Max	Rotax	503	On short finals for landing on a private airstrip, the aircraft experienced sink that was greater th...
On short finals for landing on a private airstrip, the aircraft experienced sink that was greater than anticipated. The aircraft landed heavily on an up-sloping portion of the airstrip. OUTCOME: Pilot conducted a self assessed and found that due to a lack of experience landing at the private airstrip and their currency led to the incident.
6/1/2017	OCC0875	Eviron	NSW	Tecnam	P-92-2000RG	Rotax	912 ULS	Flying from YSPT to YEVD, due to weather conditions the pilot turned to return to YSPT. Approaching ...
Flying from YSPT to YEVD, due to weather conditions the pilot turned to return to YSPT. Approaching Farrent's Hill, the pilot lowered the plane from 3500ft to 1500ft to accommodate YBCG controlled airspace and as the aircraft was crossing Farrents Hill the engine started to lose power. The pilot checked fuel/mags etc. to no avail, so then briefed the passenger as to what was happening and gave them emergency landing procedure/ advice. The pilot lowered the undercarriage and determined the final route, which was to try and land on Eviron Road. Unfortunately the pilot did not have the height and decided to land in the cane field. The pilot held the plane up for as long as possible to achieve the optimum stall speed. As the wheels got near the ground the left wing struck a mound to the left, causing the plane to pull to the left, this caused the undercarriage to dig in and collapse and the plane came to rest on its starboard side. The cabin was unaffected and the pilot and passenger were able to immediately the plane with minor injuries. OUTCOME: Engine failure and forced landing conducted as a result of suspected carburettor icing conditions while pilot was descending under idle power to avoid weather. The landing was partially successful but resulted in damage due to unidentified objects in cane field where aircraft landed. COMMENT: While this accident could simply be determined as an engine failure due to suspected icing conditions, it has it's origins further back in relation to flight planning and Human factors as well as aircraft management. Pilots are reminded to interpret weather reports prior to flight planning and make route decisions or decisions on conducting the flight based on expected hazards. Conditions were ideal for carburettor icing to occur on this day and this combined with an accelerated low power descent to avoid cloud build up in an aircraft that had no carburettor heating system led to this unfortunate but preventable engine failure. Pilots are further reminded that all carburettor equipped engines can suffer icing if conditions are probable and not managed appropriately, regardless of engine type or claimed resistance to the condition.
5/1/2017	OCC0885	Moorabbin Airport	VIC	Aeroprakt	A22LS Foxbat	Rotax	912	Runway Incursion: After making a full stop landing at YMMB on RWY35R and taxiing onto taxiway Bravo,...
Runway Incursion: After making a full stop landing at YMMB on RWY35R and taxiing onto taxiway Bravo, the pilot made a call to taxi to the main apron. As soon as the pilot finished the call they heard another call which was "taxi to the main apron." The pilot assumed this was tower but in fact was another aircraft. The pilot gave a read back call which may not have transmitted due to the microphone button not being pressed all the way. After not hearing anything after read back, the pilot assumed that the aircraft was cleared to cross the active runway. OUTCOME: The pilot misunderstood calls as originating from the tower and taxied without clearance. In future, the pilot will ensure the call originated from the tower and that calls are directed at them by listening for their call-sign.
30/12/2016	OCC0867	Moorook	SA	Jabiru	SK4	Jabiru	2200J	Initial report stated that the aircraft experienced a rough running engine when coming into land in ...
Initial report stated that the aircraft experienced a rough running engine when coming into land in a field, where the aircraft struck power lines. Aircraft has been destroyed and the pilot and passenger had minor injuries. OUTCOME: RAAus Operations had discussions with PIC regarding possible casual factors which led to this incident. PIC admit that the aircraft did not experience engine difficulties and that they were actually flying low causing the aircraft to strike power lines. Operations has proposed for the PIC to complete a Low Level (LL) training (not for issues of LL endorsement, for educational purposes) with an appropriately endorsed CFI prior to any further flight.
29/12/2016	OCC0865	Saint Helens	TAS	Icp Srl	Savannah VG	Rotax	912ULS	In the final stage of flight (near final destination) the pilot noticed fog was obscuring the airstr...
In the final stage of flight (near final destination) the pilot noticed fog was obscuring the airstrip and made the decision to land on the sand at a nearby beach. After very gently touching down, the front wheel became stuck in 4x4 ruts and collapsed which caused aircraft to flip onto its back. No injuries were sustained by the pilot. OUTCOME: Weather deteriorated faster than forecast and fog accumulated at the airport, with less than 2 NM to run. As there were no other nearby airstrips within safe decision making distance, the pilot elected to conduct a precautionary landing on the beach rather than arrive at an alternate with minimal fuel remaining. He elected not to attempt to land at the airstrip through the fog even though his GPS told him it was only 2 NM away. The pilot had sufficient fuel to conduct orbits and assess the situation, prior to conducting a precautionary landing on the beach. The aircraft flipped onto its back due to soft sand with no injuries to the pilot. A review of weather and assessment of beach landing considerations will be conducted at the next flight review.
29/12/2016	OCC0866	Tumut	NSW	Zenith Aircraft	Zodiac 601 Xl	Jabiru	3300A	While starting the engine the pilot accidentally had a small amount of throttle on which caused the ...
While starting the engine the pilot accidentally had a small amount of throttle on which caused the aircraft to surge forward and hit the adjoining hangar. Some damage was sustained to the aircraft propeller and wingtip, with the hanger receiving a dent in one corner. OUTCOME: While starting the aircraft, the appropriate actions to prevent the aircraft moving were not enacted which resulted in the aircraft striking a hangar with the wing tip and propeller. Members are reminded of the importance of checklists and appropriate actions when starting or shutting down an aircraft to prevent injury to bystanders, other aircraft or buildings.
28/12/2016	OCC0871	Aldinga Airfield	SA	Evektor	Sportstar SL	Rotax	912ULS	Aircraft commenced take off roll and just got airborne when engine lost some power. Take off aborte...
Aircraft commenced take off roll and just got airborne when engine lost some power. Take off aborted and aircraft landed safely on remaining runway and taxied back to hangar. OUTCOME: On inspection of the aircraft to determine the cause of engine power loss the maintainer found that it was due to a valve in the engine fuel pump. Owner has contacted the distributed who will be conducting further analysis on the pump. Fuel pump has been replaced and the aircraft is again serviceable.
28/12/2016	OCC0870	Aldinga Airfield	SA	Evektor	Sportstar	Rotax	912ULS	OCCURRENCE DETAILS SUBMITTED TO RAAUS: DEFECT: Failure of the outlet valve in the fuel pump caused a...
OCCURRENCE DETAILS SUBMITTED TO RAAUS: DEFECT: Failure of the outlet valve in the fuel pump caused a loss of power on take-off. Take-off aborted and aircraft landed on remaining runway. Part of the valve is pressed into the body of the pump. The part pressed into the body came out after - the outlet valve remained open which caused a drop in the fuel pressure. Note: the standby electric pump was 'On' however also lost pressure through this failed valve. OUTCOME: This aircraft is an LSA and as such this defect was reported to the manufacturer. Technical Manager reviewed the aircraft logbooks which was provided by the maintainer. The aircraft logbook showed that it has high hours and appears the fuel pump has failed due to fair wear and tear.
23/12/2016	OCC0864	Caboolture	QLD	Foxbat	A22LS	Rotax	912 ULS	While on base leg (instructor conducting circuits with a student) the pilot suggested bringing on po...
While on base leg (instructor conducting circuits with a student) the pilot suggested bringing on power to check the aircraft's rate of descent as they were about to turn final and did not want to drop below 500 ft (the aircraft altitude was approximately 600 ft). As the power was increased, the engine shook violently and stopped almost immediately. Upon finding a safe place to set it down, the pilot turned on both fuel taps and managed to restart the engine. The pilot returned to the airfield with no further incidents. OUTCOME: Technical Manager reviewed of the report and noted that the possible cause may have been either the fuel taps being turned off or also a possible issue with the fuel return line. This aircraft has recently had issues highlighted regarding the fuel return line which has been addressed by manufacturer. The manufacturer has proved service kits to owners in order to address any issues regarding fuel return line.
23/12/2016	OCC0940	The Oaks	NSW	Jabiru	J230 D	Jabiru		The engine started to run rough approximately 12NM from the airfield. The pilot returned to the airf...
The engine started to run rough approximately 12NM from the airfield. The pilot returned to the airfield, when on late finals the engine cut out. The aircraft landed successfully with no damage or injury. OUTCOME: RAAus Technical Manager spoke with the pilot/ owner who stated that the engine issues appeared to be due to the exhaust value breaking which caused a catastrophic internal failure of the engine. The pilot/ owner has been working closely with the manufacturer who have provided a brand new engine with roller rockers and a redesigned cam profile which will remove some of the cam pressure on the value train.
23/12/2016	OCC0874	Lethbridge Airport	VIC	Jabiru	SP500	Jabiru	2200	The aircraft was taxied along the grass taxiway running parallel to RWY10, upon reaching a position ...
The aircraft was taxied along the grass taxiway running parallel to RWY10, upon reaching a position adjacent to the "Piano Keys" the aircraft was turned at 90 degrees to the runway direction to enter the runway just short of the threshold gable markers. Unseen by the pilot was an unmarked drain/culvert which also ran parallel to the runway and was hidden from sight by the grass. As the aircraft began to cross the drain, the propeller tips encountered the earth on the far side if the depression delaminating them for a length of approximately 70mm. The aircraft was withdrawn from service until a replacement propeller was fitted and the Jabiru post prop strike procedure was completed. OUTCOME: While taxiing, the pilot was not aware of a depression in the ground in the grass, resulting in a propeller strike. All required actions after propeller strike now conducted.
22/12/2016	OCC0862	Moorabbin Airport	VIC	Aeroprakt	AP22LS Foxbat	Rotax	912 ULS	The pilot misunderstood instructions from ATC resulting in incorrectly joining the circuit. The pilo...
The pilot misunderstood instructions from ATC resulting in incorrectly joining the circuit. The pilot received further instructions from the controllers and then clearance to land. OUTCOME: RAAus Operations reviewed the report and found that the error in CTA procedures was due to expectation bias. The day prior to the pilot had been operating on a different runway due to the normal runway being unavailable, which meant that they were conducting unusual operations for the aerodrome. The pilot believed that the confusion was due to the combination of the operations that were being conducted the previous day and a misunderstanding of the controllers instructions as factors that contributed to this incident. NFA required.
17/12/2016	OCC0888	Port Macquarie	NSW	Aeroprakt	A22LS FOXBAT	Rotax	912 ULS	OCCURRENCE DETAILS SUBMITTED TO RAAUS: DEFECT: There have been cracks found in the radius of the ben...
OCCURRENCE DETAILS SUBMITTED TO RAAUS: DEFECT: There have been cracks found in the radius of the bend on both sides of the doubler bracket at rear wing attach point on the through spar. There are also cracks coming from some of the rivet holes. OUTCOME: As this aircraft is a LSA this defect was referred to the manufacturer. The factory has supplied new brackets for replacement in the aircraft and are reviewing images of the brackets in question. The factory are reviewing the part to identify weather it is considered to be a design issue or operational (due to a heavy landing however will issue a revision or update if required.
16/12/2016	OCC0921	Sunshine Coast Airport	QLD	The Aeroplane Factory	Sling 2	Rotax	912 ULS	After landing on RWY 36, instead of rolling through to the next taxiway (Alpha), the pilot requested...
After landing on RWY 36, instead of rolling through to the next taxiway (Alpha), the pilot requested backtrack on RWY 18 and commenced a backtrack turn without waiting for clearance. ATC then advised that clearance was required prior to backtracking, and then provided a clearance to the pilot. OUTCOME: Pilot was in the middle of requesting clearance from Surface Movement Control (SMC) when he initiated back track. Pilot has discussed the occurrence with the CFI and remedial action has been taken to address CTR and clearance requirements.
16/12/2016	OCC0863	Sunshine Coast	QLD	The Airplane Factory	Sling 2	Rotax	912 ULS	A student pilot was on a solo flight in circuit area and was in the flare when the aircraft was stru...
A student pilot was on a solo flight in circuit area and was in the flare when the aircraft was struck with a gust of crosswind. The student managed to keep the aircraft pointed in the right direction, but allowed the wind to drift the aircraft off the runway, resulting in the student landing on the grass next to the runway. The student then took off again, completing a circuit with a full stop landing. OUTCOME: RAAus Operations have reviewed this report. Minor runway loss of control which was recovered by the pilot.