The Zohan

Has Brown had enough of this bigot too?
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/22/20100506...e-fa6b408.html

At least he and the pilot are OK!

GC8

I believe that they crashed due to being crap and trying to drag a massive banner.

dynamix

iTrader: (3)

i blame Sue

Leslie

I was wondering how they came up with the theory that the banner became entangled with the engine when it trails behind the aircraft and was laid out on the ground in a straight line behind where the aircraft crashed! There is no way you could make the banner fly faster than the aircraft!

Les

warrenm2

Ive seen this floating around - I can't comment on its accuracy and have been unable to verify any of the claims.

"At this stage of the investigation sabotage is strongly indicated. Media
reports that the banner got wrapped around the empennage are clearly false
- the banner can be seen from obverhead shots lying un damaged, several
hundred feet from the aircarft.

There is no sign of external pre-accident damage to the empennage (or for
that matter to the banner)

The accident happened at about 0756 local time, as the aircraft had
successfully picked up the banner, on its 5th attempt. The incident was sudden,
consistent with the parting of a control cable to the rudder or elevators.
The operator, Sky Banners Ltd, is experienced and reputable and has a good
safety record.

There are no grounds to query either the competence or integrity of the
pilot or operator.

The aircraft, a PZL-104 Wilga 35A, G-BWDF, c/n 21950955, is designed for
towing (originally gliders) and has an excellent safety record. Nearly
1,000 have been made since 1968.

The police treated it as a crime scene and have not ruled out sabotage, I
suspect because AAIB found a severed control cable in the wreckage."

I would suspect that the police treat it as a crime scene as a procedural thing rather than having found anything. Be interesting to see if this develops any further along these lines...

billyray911

iTrader: (4)

Care for a lift,Mr Griffin...?

http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:r...with%20Gun.jpg

Leslie

One possibility is that the pilot did not allow for the sudden extra drag as he picked up the banner and simply stalled the aircraft, it would not exactly have oodles of extra power.

Les

hodgy0_2

campaign ends in a plane crash, quite an apt metaphor really

The Zohan

The banner would have needed to be made from the right materials - less drag, not likely to rip , etc and matched to the plane/power/ability to drag such an item so should not have been an issue. CAA guidelines, pilots notes for this aircraft and insurance, etc should have seen to that.

My money is on Brown and a Stinger he filched...

madscoob

iTrader: (3)

would love to know your basis for calling him a bigot ??? could it be because he knows we are skint and should cancel our membership of a bl00dy expensive club( the eu) and start putting ourselves first for ONCE

Leslie

Believe it or not I had actually worked all the above out. I am also very well aware as an ex flying instructor of the possibility of human failings when it comes to actually operating the aircraft.

The description indicates that he picked the banner up from a ground installation as he flew past it as an option to dragging off the ground during take-off.

If that was how it was done, I stated that he might not have allowed as he should have done for the extra drag as he picked it up. Very easy to lose a significant amount of flying speed in a light aircraft without a very powerful engine.

You can have all the regulations, special construction,pilot's notes, matching to the aircraft etc. but you cannot legislate for an operator making a basic error.

If you are not immediately alive to the extra drag as you pick up the banner and are a little slow in applying the extra power, you can easily get into an irrecoverable situation!

If in fact he had a flying control failure then of course he cannot be blamed.

Les

The Zohan

If you re-read my post and take into account the it is obviously a sacrastic comment, Brown called the Pensioner a 'Bigot' for daring to mention immigration and a few other things during the week if you remember.

Believe it or not i am not really one of NL/Brown's biggest fans!

The Zohan

Believe it or not what i said was pretty much pilot error as a likely cause given the other factors being taken into account. Could be equipment failure of course, but my money would be on the pilot in this case Les

Leslie

Must be the way I read it then Paul, which was why I believed it not!

Les