Something a bit different

[Predator]

I have spotted this rather odd looking plane sitting in a paddock off in the distance around Campbell Town on many of our trips to and from the North of the state.

This time I decided to drive down the rough and overgrown track closer to where it has been resting for a long time.

According to its Registration Number VH-RGL it is an Amateur Built – Long EZ, that crash landed at Moorabbin Airport in April 1996.

Evidently the nose & front wheel were broken off in the “heavy landing” (sounds a bit like some of our RC planes) so it has obviously been repaired since then.

Summary of CASA report

The pilot reported that he made an unplanned diversion to Moorabbin due to unsuitable weather en route to his destination. His approach to runway 17 right was “on the low side” and late on the approach the airspeed decreased and the sink rate increased. He applied power but this did not arrest the sink rate. The aircraft touched down heavily in soft earth short of the commencement of the sealed runway. This caused the nose landing gear assembly to collapse and then the nose section forward of the first bulkhead broke off as the aircraft slid onto the sealed runway. The aircraft was stopped in the grass on the right side of the runway. The wind velocity reported by the tower at the time of the accident was from 200 deg at 15 to 20 kt.

At the moment it has the nose wheel raised, probably to catch less wind where it is parked.

Thought some of you ultra light enthusiasts may have been interested.

 

[Gadget]

Thanks for looking into it Mike.

We have passed that plane many times on our trips to Mathinna.

I have always wodered what the story was about it.

[Author]

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