ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 62203
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | Monday 2 April 1973 |
| Time: | c. 08:30 |
| Type: |  Piper PA-25-235 Pawnee |
| Owner/operator: | Airwork (NZ) Ltd |
| Registration: | ZK-BYU |
| MSN: | 25-2022 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Near Hawarden, Canterbury -
 New Zealand
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Agricultural |
| Departure airport: | Melrose Station Airstrip |
| Melrose Station Airstrip | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities |
Pilot: Lawrence Clement Dawson R.I.P.
Pawnee ZK-BYU was fitted with a seed spreader and on the morning of the 2nd of April 1973 had carried out an uneventful sowing operation, dispersing 750 pounds of seed at Melrose Station. The aircraft departed on a second sortie, carrying a load of 520 pounds of seed, and failed to return . A search was made and the burning wreck of the Pawnee was located on a steep slope in tussock-covered ground near a small spur. The body of the pilot was found close nearby.
The plane had struck the ground at a relative angle to the slope of 60 degrees while flying at a nose-down attitude of about 30 degrees. The Pawnee had not bounced or slid forward after the impact and the deceleration had, in consequence, been very rapid.
An intense fire had broken out in the forward fuselage. The pilot's body was found on the right-hand side of the plane by the trailing edge of the wing. The pilot's safety helmet was found 25 yards downhill. He had been wearing it at the time of the crash but with the chin strap unfastened.
Examination of the propeller blades showed that they were not under power at the time of contact with the ground.
A strip inspection of the engine indicated that a fuel system failure was the most likely cause of the apparent loss of power or total engine stoppage.
The severe fire indicated the presence of a significant amount of fuel in the tanks.
It appeared that after the power loss or failure occurred the pilot attempted to make a forced landing on the spur that lay just ahead of the crash site. With the drag associated with the seed spreader and the weight of seed remaining (about 400 pounds) it was estimated that the stalling speed of the plane would have been some 55 mph.
It was believed that the pilot allowed the speed to fall and the Pawnee stalled and dropped its nose, and it sank at a high rate of descent striking the slope at a relative angle of some 60 degrees.
The Chief Inspector of Air Accidents found the following cause of the crash :
" 2.2.2 Cause - The accident resulted from irretrievable loss of control following a stall incurred during an approach to a forced landing after a serious power loss or engine failure (for reasons undetermined) had occurred at low altitude."
Sources:
1. http://archway.archives.govt.nz/ViewEntity.do?code=7333
2. Aircraft Accident Report no. 73-051
3. New Zealand Wings, Dec 1973.
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 9 September 1963 | ZK-BYU | Otago Air Services Ltd | 0 | Moonlight, Otago | |
sub |
| 13 June 1966 | ZK-BYU | Otago Air Services Ltd | Five Forks, Otago | |
unk |
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 22-May-2009 12:58 | XLerate | Added |
| 08-Aug-2014 14:49 | TB | Updated [Cn, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Damage, Narrative] |
| 11-Mar-2016 10:56 | angels one five | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Location, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 11-Mar-2016 11:03 | angels one five | Updated [Time] |
| 02-Nov-2018 20:28 | angels one five | Updated [Location, Narrative] |
| 05-Oct-2021 09:08 | Ron Averes | Updated [Aircraft type, Location, Source] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation