Light plane plunges into the ocean south of Adelaide 6/2/26

[bushcaddy105]

Very sad story for all associated with the pilots. Channel 7 news tonight reported that one of the students was Bas Scheffer's son who was training towards a commercial licence.

Bas is a co-founder of OzRunways and is still very prominent in it's promotion. May we all eventually learn from the ATSB report.

[Roundsounds]

3 hours ago, Rastus said:

Full spin training is still part of the process of learning to fly in a glider.  Any gliding club would only be too happy to give you exposure to spins and spirals and how to recognise the difference.  How to recover too!

 

Robert

Spin recovery training in a glider for a powered pilot is next to useless. Powered aeroplanes suffer from the effects of slipstream and p-factor, gliders do not.
GA schools need to use appropriately certified aeroplanes and instructors to deliver spin awareness and avoidance training. Spin recovery training is really only of use to aerobatic pilots. 

[3rd harmonic]

I haven't post on here for a while, mainly because my life has been too full (of other non aviation related things). You never think one of these accidents might happen to someone you know. I was fortunate enough to be instructed by on quite a few flights by Leo Howard some years ago at Adelaide Biplanes. Very surprised that he has been involved in a accident that's ended up this way - he had an aerobatic rating and If anyone knew how avoid and/or to recover successfully from a spin it was him.

One day I remember I had turned up hoping to take the RaAus Aeroneca Champ for flight solo (they have also a VH reg one too) but I think there was a rough south easterly blowing and they had decided it wasn't such a good day for hire and fly. But he said, look we can still go go for a flight, so i said why don't we do some incipient spins because I felt i needed the practice, and it might be fun!

We climbed to 3500 out over the water near Selicks hill, and we did spin entry, after spin entry, nose low, nose high, some with abit of power on. Some times we let it go a 1-2 turn before recovery.

It was good practice, I enjoyed every second and the seeing the ground/sea whirling around became much more comfortable after the 4th or 5th one.

On another flight again in the champ, we were doing circuits and he wanted to me to go around.

From the rear seat i had no warning and he pushed the throttle open quicker and with abit of force.

Unfortunately this caught my little finger and jammed between the curved slot and the throttle lever.

After yelling OW, i was bleeding and making a mess in the plane.

He apologised, to his credit he cut me a small bandage from a rag to contain the bleading, so i can say he was a kind individual.

It really wasn't he best lesson, but memorable all the same...

I really don't think it's a question of skill on his part, please don't assert otherwise, to do so would be dishonest.

As Nev has pointed out it may not have been him flying, or he may not have been able to take control quickly enough.

I hope the ATSB, can for once this find some answers as to why it all went so wrong, so quickly.

Such a bugger, so bloody sad...

😭😭

[BirdDog]

The 210 is not rated for spins, if my memory is correct.

 

Very sad - Tail winds and blue skies.  ::( 

[facthunter]

Of the Highwing Cessnas, Only one type of C-150/152 is Certified for spins, to my knowledge. I've done some pretty awful things to them AT a Safe Heigh, and they are Pretty spin resistant and were Built to Be. THAT doesn't MEAN they WON'T spin especially IF they are tail Heavy (like any other Plane). Nev

[red750]

Young pilot killed in plane crash was ‘not meant to be on the flight’

7NEWS.COM.AU

---

‘All you ever wanted to do since you were a toddler was to become a pilot.’

 

[Love to fly]

On 07/02/2026 at 9:30 PM, Roundsounds said:

 Spin recovery training is really only of use to aerobatic pilots. 

Pretty sure that I don't agree with this 🤔 I'm aerobatic rated, but think spin revovery and upset revovery training are really important for all pilots. But hey, I am no expert. 🤷‍♂️ 

[Roundsounds]

31 minutes ago, Love to fly said:

Pretty sure that I don't agree with this 🤔 I'm aerobatic rated, but think spin revovery and upset revovery training are really important for all pilots. But hey, I am no expert. 🤷‍♂️ 

Spin awareness and avoidance training is mandatory, but poorly trained as the result of the type of training aircraft currently used and poorly skilled instructors. It’s far more important to make pilots aware of when they’re about to enter a spin and avoid it than the actual recovery. If a pilot has the required skills to recovery from an inadvertent spin entry in the circuit area they wouldn’t have spun in the first place. 

[facthunter]

No. It's NOT just for aerobatic Pilots. You have to Use an aerobatic Plane to do the training in and all Planes spin and recover differently That's a Problem in itself and it there's a Placard "INTENTIONAL Spins Prohibited" you won't get Much of an idea of what it's likely to spin Like. Also IF you get into a fully developed Spin you are Likely to Need 1500' to recover from it. A "Flick Roll" is a Horizontal spin . Aerobatic routines are In and out of STALLs all the time. It's nothing to these guys. Being an angle of attack thing stick position fore and aft is everything. The rudder decides which way you will rotate.. A simple loop will kill you if you start with Insufficient energy. Speed and Height. Always be situationally aware.   When LOW and turning, Put extra Power on or lower the Nose (OR both) BEFORE the speed starts to Decay. Keep your turns balanced (Ball centred). Prevention IS the Key. IF you don't have the Height you are going to crash No Matter how good you are at spin recovery IF you get into one and that Happens when People react instinctively  and apply back stick when the Nosed drops , usually.  Nev

Edited February 9 by facthunter
expand

[Roundsounds]

14 minutes ago, facthunter said:

No. It's NOT just for aerobatic Pilots. You have to Use an aerobatic Plane to do the training in and all Planes spin and recover differently That's a Problem in itself and it there's a Placard "INTENTIONAL Spins Prohibited" you won't get Much of an idea of what it's likely to spin Like. Also IF you get into a fully developed Spin you are Likely to Need 1500' to recover from it. A "Flick Roll" is a Horizontal spin . Aerobatic routines are In and out of STALLs all the time. It's nothing to these guys. Being an angle of attack thing stick position fore and aft is everything. The rudder decides which way you will rotate.. A simple loop will kill you if you start with Insufficient energy. Speed and Height. Always be situationally aware  when LOW and turning. Put extra Power on or lower the Nose BEFORE the speed starts to Decay. Keep your turns balanced (Ball centred). Prevention IS the Key. IF you don't have the Height you are going to crash No Matter how good you are at spin recovery IF you get into one and that Happens when People react instinctively  and apply back stick when the Nosed drops , usually.  Nev

I think you missed my point Nev, the typical flying school / glider spin training involves entry from 1G level flight. Spin awareness training is scenario based with the right type of aeroplane and appropriately skilled and qualified instructor. Set the aeroplane up in a miss handled base / final turn at a safe height to let the trainee experience what to be aware of when approaching a spin entry, then let it enter the spin using the appropriate recovery technique for the type. Then set it up again and have the trainee recover immediately before it departs controlled flight and again as it does depart controlled flight - point out the difference in height loss. Do the same off climbing turns with climb power and repeat and many times as you can. If built into anbinitio courses you can repeat these sequences often.  Obviously this is preceded by a thorough pre brief. I’ve flown with so many people over the years who fly so close to a spin entry on that final turn, it’s no wonder there are so many accidents.
The only accidents involving unite too Al spins I can recall have all been at 1000’ AGL and lower.
Pilots are so poorly trained. 

Edited February 9 by Roundsounds

[facthunter]

I could NOT agree More, and I've been singing this song since the Mid 60's. As the Weather gets more angry bad outcomes will be More frequent. YOU MUST keep control of the Plane. ENGINE Power is your friend. IF your wings are stalled they won't do what they Must .You can be" NOT stalled" at quite Low speeds IF you unload the wings and the drag is reduced  at the same time.  Ground effect can help save your day In critical situations. Nev

[turboplanner]

1 hour ago, Love to fly said:

Pretty sure that I don't agree with this 🤔 I'm aerobatic rated, but think spin revovery and upset revovery training are really important for all pilots. But hey, I am no expert. 🤷‍♂️ 

Given spins are prohibited in recreational aviation, maximum turn is 60 degrees, where are you trying to go with this?

[Love to fly]

9 minutes ago, turboplanner said:

Given spins are prohibited in recreational aviation, maximum turn is 60 degrees, where are you trying to go with this?

I think all pilots would benefit from spin & upset revovery training. Obviously not carried out in an raaus aircraft, but in one certified and suitable for the training. 

[djpacro]

2 hours ago, Roundsounds said:

….. If built into anbinitio courses you can repeat these sequences often.  Obviously this is preceded by a thorough pre brief. I’ve flown with so many people over the years who fly so close to a spin entry on that final turn, it’s no wonder there are so many accidents. ……

Pilots are so poorly trained. 

Indeed. Some flight schools do that.

59 minutes ago, Love to fly said:

I think all pilots would benefit from spin & upset revovery training. Obviously not carried out in an raaus aircraft, but in one certified and suitable for the training. 

How about more focus on prevention? Look at the altitude in most of the reported accidents.

 

Many such raaus types are certified and suitable for spinning and aerobatics. LSA and ELA etc in other countries.

[BrendAn]

1 hour ago, turboplanner said:

Given spins are prohibited in recreational aviation, maximum turn is 60 degrees, where are you trying to go with this?

Raaus recommend RPC holders do upset recovery course.

And raaus put out a series of videos on the subject.

 

[BrendAn]

2 minutes ago, BrendAn said:

Raaus recommend RPC holders do upset recovery course.

And raaus put out a series of videos on the subject.

 

https://youtu.be/_5fN2j5XZ7I?si=jDXtLJaBOTZ6CfJs

[Lyndon]

I have some experience in a C210. Lovely plane, a real work horse. You talk about being tail heavy. Its really easy, with a grader blade inside the C210. You push the tail onto the ground, if it comes back up your good to go. 

Lyndon 

[poteroo]

Have some 210 & 206 time and found them very inclined to drop their nose in low speed LH turns. Low time pilots often overdo the rudder, and in a LH turn as power is increased to maintain speed,this rolls the aircraft much faster. Result is a rapid nosedown,LH spiral,and in the 210, speed increases rapidly. 

If,(speculating), one of the junior pilots had been flying it, got into this developing spiral, and the PIC/Instructor didn't pick it until nose was seriously down - then probably 1500-2000ft would be needed to pull out. 

Now incipient spirals need to be taught sequentially - brief/demo/do. What if this accident was the result of a spur-of-the-moment decision? 

 

Perhaps the GPS may have some clues?

 

RIP fellow pilots.

[Moneybox]

6 hours ago, Love to fly said:

I think all pilots would benefit from spin & upset revovery training. Obviously not carried out in an raaus aircraft, but in one certified and suitable for the training. 

I know there's nothing like the real thing but what about doing the spirals and spin recovery in a simulator?

[turboplanner]

8 hours ago, Lyndon said:

I have some experience in a C210. Lovely plane, a real work horse. You talk about being tail heavy. Its really easy, with a grader blade inside the C210. You push the tail onto the ground, if it comes back up your good to go. 

Lyndon 

Yes, favourite trick of CFIs just as a group was leaving with the tents, beer and rifles.

[turboplanner]

9 hours ago, BrendAn said:

Raaus recommend RPC holders do upset recovery course.

And raaus put out a series of videos on the subject.

 

What if that's what they were doing?

[BrendAn]

10 minutes ago, turboplanner said:

What if that's what they were doing?

What are you saying 

[facthunter]

Yes It's VERY REMOTE POSSIBILITY. Nev

[Love to fly]

3 hours ago, turboplanner said:

What if that's what they were doing?

In a 210 🤔

[Blueadventures]

3 minutes ago, Love to fly said:

In a 210 🤔

Investigation process usually covers that question, eg viewing previous track logs and interviews of previous students and passengers.