Accident CPC Fletcher FU-24 ZK-BHI,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 63366
 
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Date:Friday 15 July 1960
Time:c. 1530
Type:Silhouette image of generic FU24 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
CPC Fletcher FU-24
Owner/operator:Sherwood Aviation Ltd
Registration: ZK-BHI
MSN: 11
Fatalities:Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Location:Otamauri, Hawke's Bay -   New Zealand
Phase: Take off
Nature:Agricultural
Departure airport:Farm airstrip
Destination airport:Farm airstrip
Confidence Rating: Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities
Narrative:
Pilot: William George Jackson Deller died as the result of his injuries.
R.I.P.
N C Lowe property.
The aircraft was on the take off run when two cattle beasts suddenly appeared from sloping ground on the left of the strip and ran across. The pilot attempted to lift off to avoid a collision and the plane adopted a steep nose-high attitude, with the tail cone hitting the ground, before striking the animals.

The impact caused the aircraft's elevators to separate from the airframe. The calculated ground speed at this stage was 71 mph and the aircraft overran the sloping end of the airstrip. It was thought that the pilot, unaware of the loss of the elevators, attempted to continue the take off in order to retrieve the situation, rather than trying to stop in the limited distance available on the sloping runway.

The plane appears to have lofted, out of control, for a distance of 264 feet (80 metres) before striking the ground at angle of 70 degrees, and sliding another 66 feet (20 metres).
The aircraft was wrecked and a fire broke out in the engine bay and was fed by the gradual discharge of fuel from the fractured outlets of the wing tanks.

The loader driver and two others were quickly at the scene and the only fire extinguisher available, a 20-pound (9 kg) foam-type was used in an effort to blanket the pilot, whose leg was trapped, from the flames. Three other persons who had been working nearby arrived and assisted by bringing water from a pond close by. These commendable efforts were insufficient to quell the blaze and the pilot had suffered severe burns before he was finally removed from the wreckage.

The Chief Inspector of Air Accidents commented in his report :

" Throughout this desperate situation the pilot had remained conscious and had shown great courage and fortitude. The rescue party had persisted in their efforts to extricate him, despite the intense heat and the possible danger from exploding petrol tanks. "

Sources:

http://archway.archives.govt.nz/ViewEntity.do?code=7333
Report of a Civil Aircraft Accident no. 25/3/1079

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
22-May-2009 12:58 XLerate Added
22-Apr-2011 12:07 TB Updated [Other fatalities, Nature, Narrative]
16-Mar-2016 21:36 angels one five Updated [Time, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
12-Apr-2016 10:59 angels one five Updated [Narrative]
18-Dec-2016 18:29 angels one five Updated [Narrative]
14-May-2019 05:25 angels one five Updated [Narrative]
03-Feb-2022 04:45 Ron Averes Updated [Location, Narrative]

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