TIGER MOTH FORCED LANDING MACKAY & GLADSTONE QUEENSLAND
- Traveldriven
- Mar 17, 2019
- 5 min read
Updated: Sep 22
ENGINE EXPLODED.
EIGHT HUNDRED FEET UP
"MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY"
-Max the pilot
GLADSTONE
A Queensland coastal city 517 km north of the state capital Brisbane. Urban population is greater than 45,000. Approaching Gladstone by road the city is dominated by a power station. This gives the city a real industrial look. Gladstone is home to the retired patrol boat HMAS Gladstone. The ship is in dock on public display in the Port of Gladstone.
Overnight motel accommodation was in Gladstone CBD off Goondoon Street.
MACKAY
The city is almost one thousand kilometres
(600 mi) north of Brisbane, on the Pioneer River. Population is greater than eighty thousand. Mackay is nicknamed the sugar capital of Australia because its region produces more than a third of Australia's sugar.
Two nights were spent in Mackay. Accommodation was at Rydges Motel. Time allowed for a cool swim in the refreshing water of the local Bluewater Lagoon. These are three tiered lagoons in Mackay’s city centre. A safe stinger-free swimming environment. Great place to cool off and relax. Family friendly and free admission. There is a waterfall and water slide connecting the lagoons. Café and BBQ facilities are onsite.
MACKAY BLUE
While in Mackay, I chose to take a flight in a Tiger Moth. I saw flights advertised on a billboard at the nearby Mackay Airport, and since it was something, I had always considered doing, I booked a half-hour joy flight from there. When I paid, the staff assured me that all their aircraft were certified and that both their planes and pilots had maintained a spotless safety record over decades of flying operations. However, during the flight:
THE LONE ENGINE EXPLODED; 800 FEET UP
A BALL OF BLACK SMOKE CURLED UP
PILOT CALL IN HEADSET
"MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY"
MAX THE PILOT GLIDED BELOW TO AN UNSEALED
UNDER CONSTRUCTION RING ROAD
THE TIGER MOTH ROLLED TO A STOP
BOTH OF US UNHURT
TIGER MOTH & THIRTY MINUTE JOY FLIGHT
The Tiger Moth had just flown over an extensive mangrove area returning to the airport on the city fringe. The mangroves are a known habitat for saltwater crocodiles. A loud bang was heard and a black football size ball of smoke rose above the engine. Our lone spinning propeller stopped dead. Max the pilot radioed and called a
"Mayday, Mayday, Mayday".
Three Mayday calls are a general emergency distress call to all aircraft and air traffic control in the vicinity. For us, this meant southern Queensland.
Max radioed over the intercom. "Will put her down below on the right". I looked to the right. I could see small unmade roads and cane fields far below. I gripped the side of the open cockpit and braced my feet for impact. I stayed silent. Best to let Max the pilot do his job. I was glad of the tight seatbelt harness. There was a routine mandatory pre-flight safety briefing. I was told in the event of an emergency on the pre-flight safety briefing to pull the intercom cable out from the airframe panel to cleanly escape an unlikely water ditching. We weren't over water anymore.
Down to the Ground
Looking forward and eyes wide open I wanted to be aware of the surroundings when we touched the ground. I wondered if Max had suffered a medical episode. Myself an unfortunate victim and wondering now how do I survive. We banked right, glided above an unfinished overpass, and in a straight line touched down and rolled to a stop. Unpowered flight time to touch down on the road was five minutes thirty seconds. My video camera still rolling and out of focus capturing thin air and audio of rushing wind. I was more concerned with bracing for the expected hard landing. Me thinking for the previous five minutes if we would get seriously injured or worse. No panic, more of a calm foreboding feeling until touch down.
Roll to Stop On the Ground
Road workers came from everywhere. Eager to see if we were ok. A supervisor quipped you can't land here. Max replied we had no choice. Even though the airport was five minutes flight away we wouldn't have made the runway.
Engine oil was everywhere. Max radioed be careful getting out over the aircraft wing as the engine oil would be very slippery. All emergency services were called out and arrived on the scene some thirty minutes later. Arriving together. Fire truck, ambulance vehicle, police and Mackay Airport authorities.
Upon inspection, Max thought the crankshaft had broken in mid-flight causing the plane to come down. Perhaps $70,000 in repairs required. Milling around the front of the aircraft Max jokingly said, 'You Victorian's come up here to holiday and we nearly kill you'.
Near Death Experience
Emergency personal offered me a return to the ambo. station for a rest and observation as in their words Max and I had been through a near death experience. No. It gave us a fright, but all is ok. After about an hour of aircraft checks and questions. Emergency personal gave me a lift back to Mackay Airport.
I carefully drove back to my accommodation where I stayed for the remainder of the day. I had no one to confide in as this was a solo three week road trip. I did not ask for a $200 flight refund. As I thought the money well spent to get out in one piece. Next morning I drove on to Bowen. Almost 200 km and a two hour drive. The plane incident easily put behind me. Technically a forced landing. However, at the time I thought a crash was the likely outcome. The aircraft was broken inflight.
Well done to Max the pilot. Saved our lives and no injuries.
Traveldriven
BURIED IN THE FINE PRINT
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) states this is a Warbird and operated in the LIMITED category, passengers must understand that:
The design, manufacture and airworthiness of the aircraft are not required to meet any safety standard recognised by CASA
CASA does not require this aircraft to be operated to the same degree of safety as an aircraft on a commercial passenger flight. The passenger flies in the aircraft at his or her own risk
In undertaking this Adventure Flight I accept the potential risks
The Mackay Ring Road is a bypass route near Mackay, Queensland, Australia. Stage 1 completion was 2020.
Stage 1 is 11.34 km in length and connects the Bruce Highway to the south of Mackay (at Stockroute Road) with the Bruce Highway to the north of Mackay (near Bald Hill Road). The bypass involved constructing a new bridge over the Pioneer River and an interchange with the Peak Downs Highway.
MACKAY RING ROAD STAGE ONE
Tiger Moth joy flight and crash (forced landing) at the time of the still under construction, Ring Road Stage 1,
Mackay Queensland.
TIGER MOTH FORCED LANDING
ON RING ROAD
MACKAY AIRPORT
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