plane crash at great barrier

[madaero]

stuff.co.nz has just published a plane crash on great barrier today involving great barrier airlines at the airfield. two pilots and four passengers onboard with one pilot and one passenger moderatley injured and airlifted to auckland hospital.plane was departing the airfield

[stu]

www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10600303

Wind may have brought down small plane
New 6:52PM Tuesday Sep 29, 2009

A freak gust of wind may have caused the crash of a small plane on Great Barrier Island in the Hauraki Gulf this afternoon, injuring two people.

The Piper Cherokee Six, flown by Great Barrier Airlines, crashed into a swamp at 1.10pm, moments after it took off from the airfield at Claris with a full load of a pilot and five passengers.

One of the passengers was a pilot for the airline and not involved in flying the aircraft.

Rescuers waded in water up to their waists to get to the wrecked plane to help the occupants to safety.

One rescuer, who did not want to be identified, said that the aircraft may have been caught by a strong gust of wind moments after it became airborne.

The gust flipped it sideways, he said.

"It caught one wing...it screwed around and went down," he said.

"From accounts of the people we brought out...the plane just suddenly flipped on its side with a wind gust."

Most of the occupants walked out of the swamp although they were all in shock.

The two injured were treated by local nurses and a doctor, before being airlifted by the Westpac rescue helicopter to Auckland Hospital. Their injuries were not life threatening.

After getting the pilot and passengers off the aircraft, the rescuers went back for their luggage and retrieved it all but for a couple of small bags they could not reach.

Great Barrier Airlines deputy operations manager Mike McGuire would not comment on the possible cause of the crash, but said the engine was running when the aircraft came down about a kilometre from the end of the runway.

He said the passengers were badly shaken and the injured passenger and pilot were flown off as a precaution to get them the best treatment.

Mr McGuire said the airline had a good record, although in July a three-engined Trislander made an emergency landing shortly after taking off from Claris Airport with a pilot and 10 passengers on board.

The rear-propeller of one broke apart but the aircraft made a safe landing back at Claris and no one was hurt.

Mr McGuire said the airline staff's thoughts were with the people involved.

"The fact that there hasn't been significant injury or loss of life is definitely a good thing and a sigh of relief," he said.

- NZPA

[Radialicious]

I flew out of Claris years ago and always looked down on that swamp thinking it would not be a fun place to force land. Good to hear all OK. Departure off runway 24 required healthy climb performance in windy conditions to make it safe and comfortable. The rescuers probably didn't do the investigators any favours by removing the luggage though, as the weight and balance may be important. A crash scene shouldn't be tampered with unless required to preserve life. They probably didn't realise this however. Like I say, good to see everyone got away.

[Peter Lewis]

Claris seems to have an attraction for ailing Cherokee Sixs. At least ZK-DIN and ZK-EBG have crashed there, and I think a few others have needed to be repaired after fun at that strip.
Yes I agree, you are straight into a healthy climb after a 24 take-off there, the GBA boys will even accept a five or six knot tailwind to get away in the other direction.
The current GBA PA32 are ZK-CNS and ZK-ENZ/2 so I guess this accident is one of those.
The occupants are not too badly damaged at least.

[flyjoe180]

Good to hear no one seriously injured.

[Peter Lewis]

Reported to be ZK-CNS

[shamus]

Someone please enlighten me here. Having flown Cherokee 6, Delta Golf Zulu in and out of Claris many times I never had use for any of the airlines running there, I thought their was two, Great Barrier Airlines and Barrier Express. I also thought it was Barrier express that ran the Trilanders there. Was the previous incident with the lost propeller GBA or B.Express as this mornings Herald says it was GBAs second accident this year and mentions this lost propeller one. Better go now and watch for the tsuname. Thanks anyone who can help.

[Peter Lewis]

All three Trislanders are operated by Great Barrier Airlines. The three current Trislanders are ZK-LGR ZK-LOU/2 and ZK-LGC/2. They also operate Islander ZK-FVD

Great Barrier Express is an operating name of Mountain Air which is the operating name of Commercial Helicopters Ltd., Taumarunui (complicated!). They operate four Islanders on the Barrier run - ZK-PIY ZK-PIZ ZK-SFK and ZK-DLA/2.

GBA have had some operating/maintenance issues over the years, at one time sufficiently serious to have their operations stopped by CAA. This is how GBE became involved in the service. However, GBA also seem to have had their unfair share of bad luck.

[westland831]

A few Barrier updates...

GBA also operate Islander REA and Partenavia ZK-PLA. I hadn't seen PLA for some time but it was at North Shore in the weekend with the new logo (as on the Trislanders) on the tail rather than the beautiful bird tails which were such a feature of GBA aircraft.

The Trislander that threw the prop in July was LOU - I haven't seen it since. LGR has been out of the air for some time.

Mountain Air now trades as Fly-My-Sky with all but PIZ painted in the new colours

[shamus]

Thanks for the updates Peter and westland831. I am now enlightened but disapointed to miss the tsuname. Never mind i'm sure their will another one along soon.