Neighbourhood
Safety
At the Master
Plan Meeting we were told there was a 1:1 000 000
risk of injury to residents from an Airport Related Activity
The very NEXT DAY a plane narrowly missed one of us ON THE BEACH!
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CRASH June
2001
 |
Another Crash on Runway 18.
CLICK on Thumbnail for Full Size Picture. |
On Thursday 21st. June 2001 at 11-45am (only 1
month after the LAST Crash) a Twin Engine Piper Commanche crashed whilst
practicing single engine landings. The aircraft owned by Queensland Avaiation
Services from Caloundra with the Instructor at the controlls and two student
passangers was written off. - At least it was inside the aerodrome boundary
fence this time.
We are now waiting for the THIRD incident
to happen.
CRASH May 2001
 |
Crashed Aircraft in scrub 300m short of Runway
18.
CLICK on Thumbnail for Full Size Picture. |
On Friday 18th. May 2001, a twin engine Cesna
CRASHED in the so called PUBLIC SAFETY ZONE
north of the Main N/S Runway. This Zone has been Officially
SHORTENED from 1500m to 1000m from the end of the runway and is approximately
350m wide.
However it STILL includes
many of our HOMES.
We think it should be called
"DANGER"
Zone, because this is the area that most Crashes are expected to occur,
but the authorities seem to think that this misnaming somehow reduces (or
disguises) the HAZARD.
And why is it that whenever
there is an incident such as this, the pilot is always praised as A HERO?
Months later - and investigations are still underway.
But reports are, Both engines failed shortly after takeoff due to NO FUEL.
In other words - an EFATO. Students practice the proper
procedure for this type of emergency over our rooftops all the time.
If they can't safely make it to the runway, they are supposed to try the
beach or ditch in the sea. So why didn't he?
Should we be grateful that our lives and homes were
put in jeopardy by a Hero?
BEACH LANDING 24th.
FEB. 1999
CLICK on the Thumbnails for Larger Pictures
 |
This light aircraft RAN OUT OF FUEL
just short of Runway 18
Look how much BEACH he had to land on, - And this was LOW TIDE.
CLICK Thumbnail for Larger Picture |
 |
Annette Coote was sunbathing on
the beach when she heard a swishing sound.
"When
I looked up I saw a plane coming to a halt right by me, just where some
kids had been playing only moments earlier." |
This Pilot's action in undertaking
a flight with insufficient Fuel on board for at least 45 minutes
of EXTRA Flying time than his ETA is a SERIOUS
BREACH of Air Safety Procedures and should
be grounds for Cancellation of his Licence.
Instead of which, he was hailed in the media as a HERO and this LIFE THREATENING
ACTION
was reported as "The Pilot executed a TEXTBOOK
LANDING on the deserted beach"
What would have happened to me
if he had BLOTTED His Copy Book ?
What if I had stood up and taken a step towards the water ?
What if he had hit a Patch of SOFT SAND ?
I'm supposed to feel SAFE knowing I was almost KILLED by this Expert HERO
?
Airport personnel were quickly on the
scene with jerrycans and the Cesna180 took off before
any TV cameras could record the
event.
This TAKEOFF was probably ANOTHER
ILLEGAL Action, and the aircraft should have been
removed from the Public Beach on
the back of a TRUCK.
But who's counting ?
EMERGENCY LANDING 5/3/1999
Within a fortnight we had ANOTHER One
in a Million event when a Twin Engine Barron? had to Abort Take-off
on Runway 18 and make an emergency landing because the Pilot had forgotten
to secure his Fuel Cap.
Lyn Mulvaney was alarmed to see SMOKE erupt from
his starboard engine as he banked hard over her rooftop in an effort to
return to the Airport.
Most of us were unaware of this incident. - How many OTHERS
do we never hear about?
Max Tracey says - "Plenty"
Like the Cesna which crashed
into the clearing just south of the runway at
Little Mudjimba on the 4th. October 1993,
and the other one that ALSO ran out of fuel
and landed on the beach at Yaroomba.
Or the ANSET Flight to Sydney on 1st.
June 1995 departing Maroochy at 1.00pm
It was
CANCELED DUE TO A FIRE ON BOARD.
And we STILL DON'T HAVE A FIRE SERVICE at
Maroochy !
Don Culley want's to bring in DIRECT OVERSEAS FLIGHTS
by putting
the Local Fire Brigade ON STANDBY when
the Jets are about to land !
Talk about COMPROMISING SAFETY STANDARDS !!!
Perhaps ignorance IS
Bliss?
From now on, we will be receiving a
report about ALL these safety incidents.
We'll try to keep this Page UPDATED.
"I just hope there's
enough room." --
Says Max
How
SAFE are We?
It's only been a few months since a
Cesna CRASHED on Runway 18 whilst
performing a Touch-and-Go - tragically
killing two people.
This Pilot was EXPERIENCED
and already had his licence.
But this manoeuvre is carried daily
by INEXPERIENCED STUDENTS
(Many
too young even to obtain a normal DRIVER'S LICENCE)
"And MANY are from overseas
and have difficulty understanding Control Tower Instructions" -
Says Max.
Meanwhile, on the ground below,
we are blissfully unaware of this potential disaster circling overhead
and flying over our rooftop at 4 minute intervals for the hour long lesson.
EFATOs
are now BANNED
This EXTREMELY
ANNOYING Manoeuvre (Engine
Failure
After
Take-Off)
is supposed to have been BANNED since an agreement between the Flying Schools
and Local Residents was reached back in March 1993. - Prior to then they
used to do REPEATED Touch-and-Go's
followed by an EFATO
on EVERY CIRCUIT for a Whole Hour Long Lesson. - Sometimes AT NIGHT!!!
Thankfully
this has now ceased -- Well ALMOST! -- Now and then they have a RELAPSE,
When they
do - RING UP AND COMPLAIN
- Otherwise people like Airplan
will
write in their Reports
"The Flying
Schools practise a Good Neighbour Policy and DO NOT carry out EFATO's over
residential Areas" - like they did in
The Latest Master Plan.
The NEW All Hours HOTLINE for
COMPLAINTS is
or you can
call AirServices Australia through The Brisbane Noise Enquiry Unit on
1300 302 240
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