Risky Business

by our man on the spot

To have witnessed two separate air crashes before your third birthday must surely warrant a mention in the G.B. of R. Such was the dubious honour which befell my daughter Amy on the 10th. June 1990 when a Piper PA-28 (G-BeLP) crashed on take-off from Ballard airstrip, just thirteen months since the previous crash (see Coll Mag. 1990) - which was Amy's first.

All on board survived the crash with only minor injuries but it might well have been a real tragedy as one of the wing fuel tanks was ripped open on impact. Thankfully, however, the spark which could have ended and changed many lives was absent.

The events which proceeded the crash may, for some, be worth reporting here.

G-BeLPs arrival on coll was in itself dramatic enough. Landing too fast and too far down the strip, he soon ran out of runway and only a Last minute veer to the right and subsequent skid, prevented the aircraft from crashing through the wooden fence. As it was, he slid into a wire fence and sustained some damage to the undercarriage failings. After unloading his passengers (and from a distance, it appeared they needed little encouragement) the pilot decided to make himself more familiar with the airfield, making several take-offs and landings, and twice even taking off diagonally across the field. On those occasions, as the aircraft rose to pass only feet above our heads at Broadhills, the proverbial saying, He's off his heed' sprung to mind.

The fateful take-off, now with passengers on board, started from the east end (one of his practice takeoffs was from that end and it appeared to me that he only just made it - now there was the extra weight of three passengers!). Full power, brakes off and a slow build up of speed - halfway up the strip now and his speed looks too low - Stop! Please stop! You/l never make it! But on he goes and my fears are confirmed. Now trundling up the slope, - the fence only feet away, - and he's still on the ground, trying to achieve flying speed. I will him on - but it's too late, and as he finally takes off the undercarriage strikes the fence with a loud crack, the aircraft banks to the left, out of control, crashing nose down on the field opposite, demolishing itself and two fences in the process.

Flying, by its very nature, can he a risky business, but you can, and indeed must, reduce that risk to an acceptable level by, amongst other things, knowing the limitations of your aircraft. It appeared to me that the pilot of G-BeLP did not!

I would like to think that Amy's days as an aircrash spotter are over - mine too!