Plane crashes in Tasmania soon after takeoff.
Monnett Moni similar to accident aircraft. Photo by Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA)
An airplane crashed in Launceston, Tasmania (Australia) on Sunday (April 19, 2009) seriously injuring its pilot. The Monnett Moni (VH-ZMC) crashed shortly after takeoff from Launceston Airport (LST; ICAO: YMLT) at 5:35 PM local time. The pilot was the lone occupant.
According to police and witnesses, the plane, being piloted by Hugh Targett, took off from LST and apparently developed engine problems during its initial climb out. The pilot appeared to start turning back to the runway when the plane spiraled from 300 feet into the ground. The aircraft wreckage was located 1 km southeast of the airport between runway 14R/32L and the town of Evandale. The pilot is at Launceston General Hospital recovering from serious injuries to his chest and leg.
The pilot, Hugh Targett is well known in the area as an organizer of air shows and air races. His largest event was the Skyrace Tasmania, an aviation competition that is no longer held due to lack of sponsorship.
If witness accounts of the accident prove accurate, the pilot may have attempted to turn the airplane around in an attempt to make the runway with too little speed to maintain level flight during a turn. The plane may have then stalled and spun into the ground. Trying to turn back to an airport after suffering an engine failure is often referred to as the impossible turn since it is a very risky maneuver and pilots may be better off finding a place to land straight ahead of the airplane. Sometimes, though, terrain or obstacles may force the pilot to try and turn around. Of course, any assumption as to what happened is pure speculation and we will have to wait for more information to come out.
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