If you're a cc smoking light aircraft pilot - please read this.....

[Coolio]

Yesterday at the airfield I fly from here in Brisbane, a Cessna 206 with 4 skydivers and pilot, crashed on takeoff.

A couple of friends who witnessed it, said that they saw the aircraft become airborne before it commenced a steep left turn at around 100' agl, in what appeared to be an attempt to land on the cross runway.

The aircraft then stalled, and impacted the ground. Everyone on board was killed either in the crash or the ensuing fireball.

I believe there are a few of us that fly, so i've put this post up just in case there are any single engine pilots like myself, on the FOH boards.

This accident is a brutal reminder that if you experience engine trouble after takeoff - DO NOT TURN BACK.

Lower the nose immediately, look a maximum 30 degrees either side of your nose, and use whatever runway you've got left. If you have no runway left, find the best gap between any trees but DO NOT TURN BACK.

In a 60 degree angle of bank turn your stall speed increases by a factor of 1.4.

In a 75 degree turn your stall speed has doubled.

If you're climbing out nose high and find yourself with engine trouble, and then try a steep turn back to the field, you'll be at your stall speed before you know it.

Time and time again it is proven the hard way. Turning back to try and save your aircraft in most cases will result in disaster. It's just not worth it.

Dave.

[LordAnubis]

It's funny how i understand everything you said.... and i've never flown a real plane. I flew RC planes for quite a while and i learnt all about stall speeds the hard way, from crashing many model planes! Thanks for putting the reminder out and for the technical background of what i learnt by RC plane practice!

[PapaDisco]

Sad but true. Saving the occupants isn't about getting back to a runway, it's about keeping the wing flying all the way to the ground.

[Drguano]

I was trained not to even think of turning until 1000' AGL. Part of my pre-take off briefing is my plan for loss of power before reaching that altitude. Then stick with the plan.

[stogieluver]

I was trained not to even think of turning until 1000' AGL. Part of my pre-take off briefing is my plan for loss of power before reaching that altitude. Then stick with the plan.

The way I was trained, and the only way of having any chance of surviving the worst possible scenario. The 30 degree rule mentioned by Coolio is about the max.

[Drguano]

Yeah. You need a lot of power to pull off a 30 bank while configured for take off. If you have that much power available, why would you be in such a hurry to return to the runway? Inflight fire? I would still land straight ahead ASAP.

[Coolio]

Yeah. You need a lot of power to pull off a 30 bank while configured for take off. If you have that much power available, why would you be in such a hurry to return to the runway? Inflight fire? I would still land straight ahead ASAP.

I'm definitely not talking about returning to the runway, I'm talking about where you look for a landing area. I look a maximum of 30 degrees either side of the nose, and this is what is trained as part of the syllabus here in Oz. Any suitable landing area in that arc shouldn't require a 30 degree angle of bank turn, and if it did it's too close to you to get down onto safely I'd suggest!

[Coolio]

I was trained not to even think of turning until 1000' AGL. Part of my pre-take off briefing is my plan for loss of power before reaching that altitude. Then stick with the plan.

I agree. I brief myself out loud, even when flying alone. It's the only way to do it in my opinion.

[Drguano]

Ah, I was mistakenly reading a 30 degree banked turn!

[Duxnutz]

That sucks, just got home from LA and read about this. Given that it's something practically beaten into you during training I'm dumbfounded someone would turn so low. Doesn't make it any less sad. Poor bloke was probably digging, scratching and pulling the hard yards to try and make it in this (at times) a true ***** of an industry. .

In my short aviation career I've witnessed (and experienced) several near death experiences, lost friends and colleagues through stupidity and at times freak occurrences. It's truly diabolical how fantastic and yet terrifying the realm of flight can be.

Tailwinds and blue skies brother.

[Coolio]

That sucks, just got home from LA and read about this. Given that it's something practically beaten into you during training I'm dumbfounded someone would turn so low. Doesn't make it any less sad. Poor bloke was probably digging, scratching and pulling the hard yards to try and make it in this (at times) a true ***** of an industry. .

In my short aviation career I've witnessed (and experienced) several near death experiences, lost friends and colleagues through stupidity and at times freak occurrences. It's truly diabolical how fantastic and yet terrifying the realm of flight can be.

Tailwinds and blue skies brother.

Dux I haven't had an EFATO as yet, and hope I never do, but I'd like to think i'll do the right thing. But I wont know until it happens i guess.

I've been flying since 1987 now and I've lost count of the number of people i knew personally or knew from around the traps, that have died. Most cases have been from making the wrong decision at a critical time. Rarely do you get a second chance.