Primarily for general aviation discussion, but other aviation topics are also welcome.
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By Rob P
#996519
Neither the plane nor the wall were significantly damaged in the crash
:shock:

Rob P
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By Iceman
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#996605
I saw a load of photographs of the damage today, bent prop / engine, collapsed nose wheel, aircraft part way through hedge. I'll see if I can post them tomorow. The Cessa Caravan had only been in operation 4 weeks at South Cerney.

Iceman 8)
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By Iceman
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#996832
As promised

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Apparently, the pilot was seen to perform a very low-level circuit, and a very tight base-final turn within the DZ before landing too far down the runway to stop within the remaining distance.

Iceman 8)
By sleepy weasel
#996839
Blimey!

Out of interest can you shock load a turbine? I'm sure someone told me that the prop is not physically connected to the business end of the engine.
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By PhilE
#996847
can you shock load a turbine


If you can, this goes from just plain expensive to eye wateringly expensive!

the prop is not physically connected


At the very least there will be a gearbox assembly between the two. Depending upon how the power is transmitted from the main shaft of the turbine through the gearbox, there is the potential for the whole thing to be in a pile of small pieces - the pictures clearly show that the prop was under power (even allowing that the pilot would have pulled the throttle back just as his buttocks started to clench!) and it appears to have stopped in about one eighth of a rotation, so all that kinetic energy must have gone somewhere.

Edit:

the pictures clearly show that the prop was under power


Actually, that's a bit of a PPRUNE style assumption - an alternative explanation is that the prop was already just windmilling and that's why it stopped so quickly.
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By Mark R
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#996861
Judging by the way the nose leg has just folded over with no rut behind it, and the bottom blade is embedded in the ground with little disturbance.
It looks like it mostly went up and over the hedge, and then just came straight down with the weight of the engine on it.

So they may have got away with relatively minor damage to both the aircraft and the electric fence :)
By The Kid from Red Bank
#996884
[quote]Out of interest can you shock load a turbine?[/quote

Yes, it will have almost certainly damaged/distorted the hot section, so a very expensive rebuild whatever...
By pands
#996886
To answer a question above, there is no direct link between the engine and the prop - it is a free turbine.

That is, there is a big fan on the back of the prop that is driven by the exhaust gases from the turbine, that is facing backwards, and uses only about 10-15%of the power to drive the prop.

Anyone know who was driving at the time? A PM with some initials would be much appreciated.

Pands
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By Deeday
#996896
Nobody mentioned the prop reverse? The Grand Caravan has it fitted, but it doesn't look like it was engaged on N208AF (looking at the less damaged blades).