Occurrences

Date	Occurrence #	Location	State	Aircraft	Model	Engine	Model	Summary
30/8/2019	OCC1795	Wagga Wagga Aerodrome	NSW	Tecnam	P92 Eaglet	ROTAX	912 ULS	OCCURRENCE DETAILS SUBMITTED TO RAAUS: A student pre solo assessment flight was successfully complet...
OCCURRENCE DETAILS SUBMITTED TO RAAUS: A student pre solo assessment flight was successfully completed with the senior instructor and a subsequent solo flight was approved. During the assessment flight the instructor changed the fuel selection on the dual tap system to re balance fuel load. During the solo flight the student inadvertently turned off the active fuel supply during pre landing checks resulting in fuel starvation and an engine failure in circuit on short final. The student successfully completed a forced landing in circuit and with instructor assistance following landing the pilot was able to restart the engine and vacate the runway. A review of training practices at the school has been undertaken and the fuel selection procedures for training purposes has been amended to ensure both fuel tanks are selected in the landing phase to prevent further occurrences.
28/8/2019	OCC1793	Bundaberg Aerodrome	QLD	Jabiru	J230-D	Jabiru	3300A	OCCURRENCE DETAILS SUBMITTED TO RAAUS: The aircraft was landing against a strong and gusty headwind ...
OCCURRENCE DETAILS SUBMITTED TO RAAUS: The aircraft was landing against a strong and gusty headwind on runway 07. The pilot reported a normal approach was conducted but then landed heavily with the aircraft becoming airborne again. While applying power the aircraft subsequently impacted the ground resulting in a propeller strike and nose wheel collapse.The pilot advised that It seemed that the wind strength ceased at a critical time.The accident was reviewed by Operations and the pilot acknowledged that mitigation for wind gradient and wind shear had not been given appropriate consideration. The pilot volunteered to undertake remedial training with an RAAus Pilot Examiner. The aircraft is currently undergoing substantial repair by an authorised maintenance centre.
28/8/2019	OCC1794	Bankstown Aerodrome	NSW	Tecnam	P2008 DL LSA	Rotax	912ULS2-01	OCCURRENCE DETAILS SUBMITTED TO RAAUS: During a first solo check flight the student struggled to pri...
OCCURRENCE DETAILS SUBMITTED TO RAAUS: During a first solo check flight the student struggled to prioritise flying the aircraft and didn’t slow down in the circuit behind a slower moving aircraft. The tower instructed the student to conduct a full stop landing due to unsafe flying. The Instructor intervened prior to overtaking the aircraft they were to follow. Due to the nature of the first solo check, this scenario was discussed on the ground with student prior to the solo check and but no further in flight instruction was given in the air to measure student's judgement. RAAus reviewed relevant Instructor responsibilities and intervention strategies with the school CFI and RAAus provided the school with training resources including a "Control Management for Instructors: presentation. The CFI will incorporate these resources into development training for all instructors to reduce further training incidents.
25/8/2019	OCC1791	Goolwa Aerodrome	SA	Tecnam	P92 Eaglet	Rotax	912 ULS	OCCURRENCE DETAILS SUBMITTED TO RAAUS: During a supervised solo flight the student pilot was climbin...
OCCURRENCE DETAILS SUBMITTED TO RAAUS: During a supervised solo flight the student pilot was climbing upwind runway 19 and an RV10 was observed to turn right final for runway 01 contrary to established circuit requirements having previously radioed a call for Base 19, which was later determined to be incorrect . The RAAus student had made a call for entering and rolling 19 before taking off. A gyrocopter also made a taxiing call for 16 and was at the holding point of 19 waiting for the Tecnam to take off in order to cross 01-19 for 16. The student saw the RV10 and turned early to left cross wind (east) at about 200’ to avoid collision. The RV10 then turned left at around 100’-200’ and climbed steeply to the west. The student continued their departure to the training area, the RV 10 returned to the field with a correct downwind 19 call for a full stop on 19. The RV10 was unable to be identified, preventing any further follow up with the pilot. Pilots are reminded to follow the published procedures for Non Towered aerodromes and conform with recommended circuit joining procedures. RAAus and CASA continue to provide training resources and education programs to assist pilots in safe operations at uncontrolled aerodromes. Pilots are urged to maintain familiarity with these procedures including the latest version of CAAP 166.
24/8/2019	OCC1790	Oldbury	WA	Aerochute Industries	Dual	Rotax	503	OCCURRENCE DETAILS SUBMITTED TO RAAUS: The pilot and passenger conducted a normal take off in a powe...
OCCURRENCE DETAILS SUBMITTED TO RAAUS: The pilot and passenger conducted a normal take off in a powered parachute from their usual flight strip in surface conditions that were assessed as suitable for the flight. On initial climb the aircraft encountered severe sink at full power and the pilot took evasive action to avoid a line of trees at a height of approximately 50 ft AGL. During this turn the aircraft continued to lose height and the right side of the canopy caught a tree branch which pivoted the aircraft hard right and toward the ground at 45 degrees with the nose striking the ground first and coming to rest some 3-4 metres from impact, upright. As a result of the accident both pilot and passenger sustained serious injuries from which they have now recovered. The accident was reviewed by the pilot and RAAus and it was identified that a combination of environmental conditions and human factors were the primary contributing factors to the accident. The pilot acknowledged that in the early morning, despite the good local atmospheric conditions he did not fully assess the overlying meteorological wind and will obtain a more comprehensive weather forecast in future. The pilot intends to return to active flight with the assistance of the local PPC community.
18/8/2019	OCC1787	Canberra Aerodrome	ACT	Jabiru	J230-D	Jabiru	3300	OCCURRENCE DETAILS SUBMITTED TO RAAUS: The training instructor departed YSCB to the unfamiliar Yass/...
OCCURRENCE DETAILS SUBMITTED TO RAAUS: The training instructor departed YSCB to the unfamiliar Yass/Barton training area to practice turns and climbs, below the 6500' Class C step. various manoeuvres were practiced for about half an hour, climbing to 6000' to avoid the turbulence. During the manoeuvres the pilots became disoriented and believed the town just to the north was Yass, however it was actually Murrumbateman. The pilot hadn't allowed for the effect of the 45-knot northeast wind which had blown them into Class C airspace. When the mistake became apparent, the aircraft departed class C and requested clearance to return to YSCB. The Instructor, as pilot in command, was interviewed to review flight planning and situational awareness elements of the flight and the imperatives of the the multitasking challenges that the instructing environment demands. The supervising CFI was also interviewed to ensure ongoing mentoring and development of this new flight Instructor. Instructors must manage complex task loads including being command pilots first and the planning, decision making and execution of successful flight sorties sets the standard that student pilots will emulate in their training progression.
17/8/2019	OCC1784	Captain Creek	QLD	Zenith Aircraft	Zodiac CH 601 HD	Rotax	912 UL	OCCURRENCE DETAILS SUBMITTED TO RAAUS: Whilst attempting to land, the pilot needed to "buzz" cattle ...
OCCURRENCE DETAILS SUBMITTED TO RAAUS: Whilst attempting to land, the pilot needed to "buzz" cattle on their private grass 700m strip then continued with a go-around. They needed to do this twice and each time the approach was normal with normal throttle operations. On the third attempt to land (this time with no cattle on the strip), the throttle would not lower the revs to idle speed when pulled back, but would not allow the engine to rev below 3000rpm. The pilot performed a go around and tried the throttle in various positions but could not get it back to idle. It would go to full power as designed but not below 3000rpm. The decision was made to land at a neighbors wide 1200m grass strip nearby in case they had to come in at higher than normal speed. Upon landing, the pilot cut the power by turning off the mags but the touchdown was harder and faster than normal. When they removed their left hand from the throttle to switch the mags off, the throttle (as designed) went to full power for a short burst before the engine was "killed". The extra speed this caused made it difficult to control the aircraft and the aircraft veered to the right in a partial ground loop coming to rest, still on the RWY, but at 90 degrees to the direction of landing. The engine was restarted after initial inspection and the throttle worked perfectly - going back to idle every time the throttle was pulled back.
17/8/2019	OCC1783	Greenside Aerodrrome	WA	Jabiru	J170C	Jabiru	2200B	OCCURRENCE DETAILS SUBMITTED TO RAAUS: Primary cause environmental (Wildlife). Review any further oc...
OCCURRENCE DETAILS SUBMITTED TO RAAUS: Primary cause environmental (Wildlife). Review any further occurrences as part of Flight school hazard register for risk mitigation.
15/8/2019	OCC1785	Bendigo Aerodrome	VIC	ICP SRL	Savannah S	Rotax	912ULS	OCCURRENCE DETAILS SUBMITTED TO RAAUS: After 45 mins of local flight and circuits to improve skills,...
OCCURRENCE DETAILS SUBMITTED TO RAAUS: After 45 mins of local flight and circuits to improve skills, an engine failure on take-off was practiced at approx. 25ft above ground. The pilot was not able to maintain sufficient air speed. The lack of sufficient airspeed to maintain flight resulted in a heavy landing causing damage to undercarriage and underside of aircraft. A review was conducted by RAAus and the relevant factors for the accident were determined to be insufficient energy and airspeed margins at such low level when conducting engine failure simulations. No mechanical factors were identified however, pilots should remain vigilant about engine static idle settings to ensure they are sufficient to limit the likelihood of engine stoppage in low airspeed operations.
14/8/2019	OCC1779	Archerfield Aerodrome	QLD	The Airplane Factory	Sling 2	Rotax	912 ULS	OCCURRENCE DETAILS SUBMITTED TO RAAUS: After a stall recovery, the engine was producing irregular vi...
OCCURRENCE DETAILS SUBMITTED TO RAAUS: After a stall recovery, the engine was producing irregular vibrations and rough running above 4500rpm, The A/C was flown at slow cruise to YHEC for maintenance to inspect. It was found that the carburettor compensator diaphragm in the RH carburettor was ruptured.
13/8/2019	OCC1788	Bankstown Aerodrome	NSW	BRM Aero	Bristell S-LSA	Rotax	912 ULS	OCCURRENCE DETAILS SUBMITTED TO RAAUS: During a solo check with a student pilot on landing the right...
OCCURRENCE DETAILS SUBMITTED TO RAAUS: During a solo check with a student pilot on landing the right wing made contact with the runway and the instructor called for a go around.The event was observed by a runway inspector and the tower was advised of the incident. A subsequent landing was successfully completed and the flight was terminated at the towers request. A later inspection revealed the aircraft wing tip was damaged along with minor damage to the aileron. RAAus reviewed the Instructor responsibilities and intervention strategies with the school CFI and RAAus training resources were provided including "Control Management for Instructors" which is a presentation created for CFIs and Instructors. The CFI will incorporate these resources into development training for all instructors to reduce further training incidents.
7/8/2019	OCC1807	Wagga Wagga Aerodrome	NSW	Jabiru	j230	Jabiru	A3300	OCCURRENCE DETAILS SUBMITTED TO RAAUS: The pilot conducted a straight in approach which resulted in ...
OCCURRENCE DETAILS SUBMITTED TO RAAUS: The pilot conducted a straight in approach which resulted in conflict with existing traffic in the circuit.The decision to make a straight in approach was influenced by not being able to ascertain the intention of a RAAF aircraft that was upwind to the south of the field. The appropriate CTAF calls were made to identify any potential conflicts but the quality of the returned calls made building the appropriate situational awareness difficult. The pilots' fixation on the distant aircraft masked their awareness of other potential circuit conflicts The pilot later sighted a Piper Warrior on base off to their port side as they were on short final. The Warrior made a call stating their position which was acknowledged and the pilot confirmed that they had them sighted off the left wing. The straight in approach is the least preferred circuit join procedure at non towered aerodromes and this incident provides confirmation of the importance of pilots ensuring a clear situational picture is developed and evolves. During the investigation the pilot conceded that an overhead join would have allowed significantly more time to build a more complete picture of all circuit traffic thereby avoiding any potential conflicts. All pilots are urged to study and understand CAAP 166-01 (v 4.2) Feb 2019 and apply the highest level of risk mitigation to avoid the potential for incidents and potentially serious accidents.
3/8/2019	OCC1775	Caboolture Aerodrome	QLD	Aeroprakt	A22LS Foxbat	Rotax	912 ULS	OCCURRENCE DETAILS SUBMITTED TO RAAUS: Whilst downwind the pilot observed a Piper Pawnee tow plane a...
OCCURRENCE DETAILS SUBMITTED TO RAAUS: Whilst downwind the pilot observed a Piper Pawnee tow plane above them. The pilot then made a radio call to the tug saying that they were directly beneath them on downwind. No response was heard. The pilot made a full stop to discuss with their instructor. Review of this occurrence indicated that both pilots reported to make radio calls, however it is unknown why two-way communication was not established. The pilot of the tow plane was briefed to ensure they continue to see and avoid other aircraft when operating.
2/8/2019	OCC1773	Clifton Aerodrome	QLD	WB Drifter	WB	Rotax	582	OCCURRENCE DETAILS SUBMITTED TO RAAUS: Whilst conducting a clearing turn at 4800ft (3300ft AGL) abou...
OCCURRENCE DETAILS SUBMITTED TO RAAUS: Whilst conducting a clearing turn at 4800ft (3300ft AGL) about 3 nm south of the Clifton airfield prior to a stalling exercise, a student observed a RAAF Hornet jet "pop out" from behind a cloud about 1 nm directly in front of the drifter and head straight towards them at the same height. The Hornet jet then commenced a descending turn to their right passing under the Drifter and to the side a short distance away. They did not respond to a radio call on the CTAF frequency. RAAus reminds pilots of the importance of "see and avoid" and prior to flight check NOTAMs for relevant flight information as military activities in designated danger areas occur regularly in many areas of Australia.
2/8/2019	OCC1772	Clifton Aerodrome	QLD	Jabiru	J160 C	Jabiru	2200 B	OCCURRENCE DETAILS SUBMITTED TO RAAUS: At 150ft on climb out the engine began running rough and lost...
OCCURRENCE DETAILS SUBMITTED TO RAAUS: At 150ft on climb out the engine began running rough and lost power. As paddocks were available a steady turn was initiated into wind whilst maintaining full power and just able to maintain height. As some power was still being delivered, the turn was continued whilst still over landable paddocks until a successful return onto RWY 24 was achieved. Upon landing, the aircraft was successfully taxied back to the hangar a distance of 600 metres under its own power. The engine was returned to the manufacturer for strip down and assessment to ascertain the reason for the power loss and they have ascertained that the cause was the failure of a main conrod bearing. The engine showed no signs of heat exposure or damage and no other visible problems.