ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 61372
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| Date: | Wednesday 8 November 1978 |
| Time: | 17:18 |
| Type: |  CPC Fletcher FU-24-950M |
| Owner/operator: | Farmers Aerial Topdressing Co Ltd |
| Registration: | ZK-BHL |
| MSN: | 14 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Location: | Gladsmuir Station, Otago -
 New Zealand
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Agricultural |
| Departure airport: | Farm airstrip |
| Farm airstrip | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities |
Pilot: Barry Harraway (21) R.I.P.
Location: 6 nm East of Middlemarch.
The deceased pilot had been employed as a loader driver on agricultural flying operations for three years and aspired to a career as a pilot. He held a Commercial Pilot Licence and during his training had been considered to be an "above average" pilot. He had accumulated 291 hours total flying time of which 85 hours had been in Fletcher FU24 aircraft, the latter mainly in ferry flights.
An ag-rated pilot with whom Barry Harraway regularly worked began giving him dual flying instruction in aerial sowing operations with the intention of helping him achieve his aim of becoming a topdressing pilot. These lessons were taking place without the knowledge of their employer and would not have been permitted as the company pilot concerned did not have a Flight Instructor Rating. The deceased pilot had received almost six hours of "unofficial" dual instruction in piloting the FU24 in aerial sowing operations.
On the day of the accident the pair flew from their base to Gladsmuir Station airstrip to complete a contract by dispersing about 57 tons of superphosphate on the Mount Stoker block. The company pilot commenced the operation at 08:30 and continued until 12:30 in flying conditions that were described as "perfect" with little or no wind and an overcast cloud layer at 3,000 feet.
After the lunch break the company pilot carried out two further sorties and then allowed his loader driver to take over as pilot in command of ZK-BHL while he assumed the operation of the loader. This was the first time that Barry Harraway flew as a solo pilot on sowing flights. He carried out 20 sorties uneventfully and then a refueling and afternoon tea break was taken. These sorties had averaged 5.5 minutes each with hopper loads of about 1020 kgs.
At 15:50 he resumed operations and completed the contract on the Mt Stoker block in about 14 sorties.
It was then decided to finish the day's work by sowing three loads on paddocks located to the northwest of the airstrip, and another load on a small area to the south of the 'strip.
The company pilot then joined Barry Harraway in ZK-BHL and, with Barry still handling the controls, a briefing flight was carried out in which the boundaries of the areas were pointed out and the best method of carrying out the tasks was explained. The company pilot observed that his loader driver was handling the plane competently and no significant turbulence was encountered in the short flight.
At 17:10 Barry Harraway took off alone on the first sortie of the new tasks with a hopper load of 1,020 kgs.
On the second sortie, again with a load of 1,020 kgs, the Fletcher was seen to turn to the left as in the first sortie and commence a sowing run along the eastern edge of the block of two paddocks. The plane then disappeared behind the ridge with the engine noise continuing to be heard from the airstrip, and at a point when the aircraft should have reappeared the sound of an impact was heard.
ZK-BHL was found severely damaged, but there was no fire. The pilot was dead.
The crash site was on a hillside 1,300 feet amsl and below the estimated start point of the runs along the western boundary of the "northern paddocks". Ground evidence showed that the initial impact was on the left wing tip with the plane banked to about 60 degrees. Further ground and component evidence indicated that the outer section of the left wing, followed by the inner section, had folded up allowing the main impact to be taken on the left side of the fuselage. After this main impact the aircraft swung 180 degrees, coming to rest 29 metres from the initial impact point.
The crash investigation found no evidence of pre-accident defect in the aircraft. Fuel exhaustion was discounted. There was no evidence of engine failure and the weight and CG were within limits. There was no pathological evidence of pilot incapacitation.
The weather was still overcast but the wind had increased to 10-15 knots from the northeast by the time of the crash.
The crash investigator concluded that the probable cause of this accident was a loss of control while making a left turn at a low altitude during a topdressing operation and recovery could not be effected before the aircraft collided with the ground.
ZK-BHL was subsequently rebuilt.
Sources:
1. http://archway.archives.govt.nz/ViewEntity.do?code=7333
2. http://www.topomap.co.nz/NZTopoMap/nz18612/Gladsmuir/Otago
3. AHSNZ, 1978, Newsletter 8.
4. Aircraft Accident Report No. 78-143.
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 15 December 2000 | ZK-BHL | 0 | Raglan, Waikato | |
w/o |
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 22-May-2009 12:58 | XLerate | Added |
| 11-Dec-2010 16:27 | TB | Updated [Aircraft type, Total fatalities, Other fatalities, Nature, Damage, Narrative] |
| 13-Mar-2017 22:17 | angels one five | Updated [Time, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Narrative] |
| 13-Mar-2017 22:31 | angels one five | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 06-Apr-2017 13:26 | angels one five | Updated [Narrative] |
| 05-Feb-2022 17:27 | Ron Averes | Updated [Location, Narrative] |
| 07-Feb-2022 02:01 | Ron Averes | Updated [Operator] |
| 22-Feb-2022 20:23 | Ron Averes | Updated [Source] |
| 01-Jan-2024 19:01 | angels one five | Updated [Narrative] |
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