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Post by Officer Crabtree on Feb 24, 2011 21:22:09 GMT 12
Lovely story! I personally think these are nice aircraft, just looking at them gives me a nice happy feeling.
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junior
Flight Lieutenant
Wibble
Posts: 95
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Post by junior on Jun 8, 2012 3:24:27 GMT 12
I have a personal story to relate to the crash and demise of Devon ZK-UDO. Also see thread: rnzaf.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=Airshows&action=display&thread=2288 I was the Duty NCO on Friday 3rd Feb 2006. At about 1020hrs the Base crash alarm sounded. Devon ZK-UDO had crash landed on the main runway 09/27 at RNZAF Base Ohakea. Being the DNCO I phoned Base Ops to see if I could be of assistance. I reported to Base Ops and sat in on the briefing and was told to keep my DNCO phone on and they would call back. About an hour later I received a call asking me to go to the Sgts Mess and look after the pilot and passengers of the aircraft. they had all been to the Base Medical for full check ups and other than mild shock, everyone was in good health and spirits. I made sure everyone was comfortable, coffee and teas supplied and something to eat for those that were hungry. While we were sitting in the Sgts Mess I had a chat to the pilot and asked him what happened. He said that they were on their way from Auckland to Wellington with 8 pax on board. They had chartered the aircraft to get to the Rugby Sevens tournament. He said the weather "clagged in" so knowing there was an airport close by he "stooged" around at low level til he saw Ohakea and lined up.....thats when all hell broke loose and the next thing he knew he had her sliding down the runway. The official report later stated that when full flap was selected prior to landing a sudden failure of the port flap jack linkage eye-bolt caused an asymmetrical flap condition, creating a rolling tendency that the pilot could not overcome. The attached photos are Crown Copyrited and attributed to RNZAF .      |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 8, 2012 10:55:51 GMT 12
Very sad photos. I'm glad all onboard were ok.
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Post by vs on Jun 8, 2012 12:36:22 GMT 12
Slightly off topic, but how many Deavons are flying in New Zealand? I am guessing the one in Tauranga...wan't there one somewhere in the South Island?
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Post by dazz on Jun 8, 2012 21:33:41 GMT 12
Is it just me, or is the left prop feathered in those UDO photos? Don't remember reading anything about any engine issues, although I guess that may have happened at some stage during the touchdown/crash process. The cloud base in some of the photos does look more than a little 'ish' for VFR through the terrain to the north of OH though!
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Post by Damon on Jun 9, 2012 12:35:54 GMT 12
There are 3 ex RNZAF Devons currently on the NZ Civil regisiter. These are ZK-KTT in Tauranga, ZK-RNG at Wanaka and ZK-XNZ in Ashburton.There is a Dove 8 at North Shore which replaced ZK-UDO in the syndicate. How much flying -KTT and -XNZ do I am uncertain.-RNG is static at present.
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Post by lumpy on Jun 9, 2012 13:00:34 GMT 12
Is it just me, or is the left prop feathered in those UDO photos? Don't remember reading anything about any engine issues, although I guess that may have happened at some stage during the touchdown/crash process. The cloud base in some of the photos does look more than a little 'ish' for VFR through the terrain to the north of OH though! Shifted during the crash would be my bet . The two visible blades on thr R/H engine seem to have one bent back , but the other bent forward ! ( I think the forward one probabaly rotated right around ). Could be just my eyes though ? |
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Post by tbf25o4 on Jan 29, 2014 16:14:43 GMT 12
The poor old Devon was grossly underpowered when configured in the SAR role. Even with the door off and the elsan removed, the weight of the
drop board and SAR pack, plus crew of pilot, Nav, Signaller and one observer, plus max fuel meant that when taking off from Wigram
the aircraft was well over max all up weight. I can remember many briefings as we lined up for take-off on the sealed taxiway (wasn't allowed to be
called a proper runway in my day!) with the call from the driver: "should one or other of the engines cough before lift off will close throttles and try
to stop (noting the Devon's poor brakes of British origins!) before we hit the far fence. If one coughs after take-off and before we can reach a safe height
then it was nice knowing you!
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Post by skyhawkfan1 on Jan 31, 2014 7:41:23 GMT 12
When I was in the Air Training Corps in Nelson we had our own Devon (Grey/Red), we were not allowed to fly it but I remember doing some high speed taxis in it, was a lot of fun. I remember the thumb brakes on the steering column, the Gypsy engines, ah good times. No idea where that Devon is now though.
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Post by Peter Lewis on Jan 31, 2014 8:14:39 GMT 12
Sounds like INST214 ex NZ1804. Devon navigation trainer NZ1804, WFU 1980 to INST214 4TTS, to Nelson ATC November 1981 sold, to G F Rhodes for display at Wanaka now at Ashburton.  |
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Post by suthg on Jan 31, 2014 21:59:51 GMT 12
I noticed the big sister - a DH-114 Heron, ex NAC at the Tauranga Airport. It looks a bit rough on the outside - weather and all but is clean and sparkling on the inside so photos show... four Gypsy Queen 250HP engines - still rather underpowered, used from 1953 to 1957. ZK-BBM CN 14011 A photo here from Jetphotos.net: jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=6286720&nseq=27. Tidy shot of the cockpit here... jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=6588993&nseq=20 My photos are not on this computer. Later. |
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Post by scrooge on Feb 1, 2014 7:47:09 GMT 12
That reminds me, we've got BBM's flight manual and some other documents at the syndicate club house, which should go back to the aircraft.
If anyone is heading down to TG from NZNE in the future PM me if you wouldn't mind making a drop off. Also applies to any Tauranga Museum locals who might come up to Auckland/North Shore.
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Post by beagle on Feb 1, 2014 7:53:00 GMT 12
just trying to think what frame we had at 1TTS in Hobby on course. we stripped it and a later course painted it and it went to ATC at Nelson
oops, should have read the post above. duh
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Post by beagle on Feb 1, 2014 17:35:13 GMT 12
found the images from my painters course     from the left, Greg Pryce, me (with hair), Mark Sutton, Paul (Sid) Wakelam, Maree Turner 1-81 Aircraft Finishers Course with Murray Cruickshank as instructor |
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Post by komata on Feb 1, 2014 17:52:42 GMT 12
Only because the type was mentioned: Whatever happened to the red-painted Air North(?) Heron that lurked at Ardmore during the late '70's? From memory it was a Riley 'Super Heron' (no Gipsy's) and the last time I saw her she was sitting on several 44-gallon drums and looking very sad indeed.
No idea about the registration, but she always looked and sounded unique in flight.
Now, back to the Devon...
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Post by Dave Homewood on Feb 1, 2014 18:25:30 GMT 12
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Post by beagle on Feb 1, 2014 18:32:21 GMT 12
cheap cartridge camera from the early 80's and photos have been in an album since then
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Post by Bruce on Feb 1, 2014 19:22:58 GMT 12
Only because the type was mentioned: Whatever happened to the red-painted Air North(?) Heron that lurked at Ardmore during the late '70's? From memory it was a Riley 'Super Heron' (no Gipsy's) and the last time I saw her she was sitting on several 44-gallon drums and looking very sad indeed. No idea about the registration, but she always looked and sounded unique in flight. Now, back to the Devon... The Red Air North Heron was BBM - the one now at Tauranga. It was a series 1 heron with fixed gear and Gypsys, as were all Air North's Herons. the Hulk of BBM resided in the Gulf Aeronautics Hangar at Ardmore when I worked there in the early 1990s, along with a huge stock of bits off the other Air North Herons, such as EKO. |
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Post by komata on Feb 1, 2014 19:48:56 GMT 12
Thanks Bruce. Much appreciated.
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Post by snaphead on Feb 2, 2014 12:49:43 GMT 12
Dave
I recall in the late 1960's being at AMS Ohakea doing a check 4 on a Canberra, that the Government of the day GAVE x2 Devons to the Malaysian Air Force. THey had up rated engine amongst other modifications but all mods were done in house at Ohakea.
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