Accident at Cottesloe; temporary site closure

[peterk]

From Peter South:


All

Bad news I'm afraid.
There was an accident at Cott today. The pilot was injured and taken to hospital. A house on Marine Terrace was damaged in the accident.
I have regretfully informed Cottesloe Council that the site is closed pending accident investigation and procedure review.
HGFA has also been informed.
We'll do all we can to get this sorted as quickly as possible. Clearly this event puts the site at risk.
Meanwhile, the best everybody can do is to observe the self imposed closure.

Regards
Peter South
Chairman HGAWA

[gasman]

I very much hope the pilot is Ok.

Is it normal to close a site every time there is an accident?
Closed sites in Perth have shown a nasty tendency to be closed in the interests of safety and then never opened up again, especially following the input from someone with little local empathy. (Yes, I am making reference to Mosman Park).

The Cottesloe site has been flown successfully for a large number of years, so just because there was an accident does not suggest that there is suddenly a new site factor that needs to be dealt with.

Bruce Marks

[rmerigan]

I always considered Cottesloe unsuitable for PG, small ridge not much between soaring and going backwards and that major road just behind.
Mossman is unsuitable for HG and that is what is currently holding up reopening that site, the council spoke to their insurers about HG there and its come to a grinding halt, again!

I suggest we make Cottesloe a HG only site and Mossman a PG only site and get them reopened asap.

The pilot was flying a Usport FR, that glider is capable of well over 60kmh and still got blown backwards.

[tromes]

The main point that lead to Cottesloe closure was I believe the property damage. Even if we pay a very expensive insurance just to cover that, it make sense that some investigation are carried out to determine whether it is a likely event or not.

Regarding your comment Rod, I was actually thinking that Cottesloe wasn't so bad as there is one area where you have some room before hitting the road or an house if blown backward, but it doesn't look like it worked on Saturday.
Mosman can also be tricky if getting blown back (some pilot already landed on roofs or even without getting blown back on some post ), when the hangie don't create any problem when they are keeping the option of landing in the water if the top landing condition are too difficult (though they better carry an emergency O2 bottle if something goes wrong...)

[rmerigan]

From what I understand that roof landing at Mossman was skilfully done.The pilot was drifting backwards over the park ,had to climb over power lines, then line up with a narrow vacant block, fly backwards down the vacant block til they found some dead air on top of a garage roof behind the adjacent house.

[gasman]

Ahh Eric, good to see you back interested in Flying!!!!

[Riaan]

Late, Comment Oops (:-)

Correction this was at Leighton often referred to as Cottesloe, due to proximitry. Incorrectly referred to as Mossman, the latter being a totally different site.
Picture of the Leighton site. viewtopic.php?f=1&t=1549

Accurate Analysis of the day and Positive Recommendations for the Incident at Leighton

I was present at the day as I was walking along the footpath (not flying as I considered the gust component too big). The primary cause of this was lack of weather assessment and then situational awareness until too late.

Still few factors to consider of the Day.

1. First and most important it was NOT a blue sky day i.e (no sea breeze)
2. This was NOT a mild cloudy day with gentle pre frontal like we usually fly
3. This WAS a heavy overcast day with frequent small fronts moving in on westerly (Large gust factor).
4. The gust component was big indicating massive instability in the weather and potential storm squalls
5. The pilot limited coastal ridge soaring flying and coastal weather assessment.
6. Gust exceeded 22 knots for a very long duration excess of 10 minutes due to low cloudbase and squall like storm. (Prediction limted to ~ 18 knots)
7. Aircross Not the best glider for Dynamic low ridge soaring but excellent XC wing

The damage to property was minimal, I fail to see how this could have exceeded more than $ 100 for material. To say the place was a dump would be an understatement, any change would have been an improvement

Recommendations
1. Westerlies are best flown in blue sky days (I know we all fly prefrontal, and fronts regularly)
2. Read the wind coming on over the water all the time...
3. Be were wary of flying on a day where the gust factor exceed 3 knots especially on a low ridge
4. Always stay in front of the lift band.
5. Fly the beach at Quins of Burns regularly and don’t experiment at Leighton or even less unforgiving places. That is where we all learn the hard (but more forgiving way as there is no road or houses)
6. Bleeding of height and energy via VERY BIG ears (Small big ears just create more drag)
7. Flying to the south of the launch where there is almost no ridge and the roads is recessed far behind the ridge. Penetration will be better and height will be lost naturally.
8. Predictions will not show isolated storm cell strengths and localised effects.
9. Big ears and Speedbar together is one of the safest, most efficient manoeuvres for both penetration and loosing height
10. Add Wingovers to the above and you are down very, very quick.
11. Coming in for landing glider control and penetration may cause your altitude to vary and sa the gust from the rough ocean state causes turbulence and you bump on the ridge or pseudo land causing the glider to pitch grabbing more wind and starting to drag you
12 Take multiple wraps on the brake lines upon (or preferrably), just before 0.5 meter before landing. Once the glider is on it way collapsing take wraps immediatly up to there the lines allow to pul through the pully)This is crucial otherwise you will be dragged as even flapping glider in stong wind will drag you.

Warnings !
1. Never pump out big ears at the same time of letting go of the speedbar. One at a time.
2. Big ears are easily removed by weight shifting to the opposite side of the one you want to release. Usually they come out by themself. If not leave them in
3. Landing with big ears is perfectly safe, no need to pump them out.
4. Gusts fronts can not easily be read coming over the water at the best of times, less so on overcast days.
5. Ocean state is not a good indicator of wind streanght as there is a lead and lag beween water and wind.
6. Lastly Very Obvious - Landing in traffic, powerlines ensured of injury to yourself and possibly others...

See below Typical Spikes in the Actuals versus Predictions, this is due to local storm showers (or low level winds ahead of squals)

[mikedufty]

I think the gusts can easily get you even if you do everything else right. I had a similar incident at Cottesloe (generally the area with houses, north of the memorial is referred to as Cottesloe, Leighton is south of the memorial, with only road and railway behind the ridge, no houses).
In my case I was aware it was gusty, but didn't make the right decision not to fly. When a gust bigger than the others came I got myself right down at ground level at the edge of the water with big ears and full speed but still went slowly backwards until I hit the base of the dune. At that point I might have been able to save it with a C or B line but with the confusion of big ears and speed and going backwards I didn't and got catapulted up over the fence, which I stuck my foot into to try to stop, resulting in falling on my head from the top of the fence. Ended up very very sore with glider over parked cars. Could have been very much worse.
Basically not a site to fly on any sort of gusty conditions, where you need speed bar at the ready. Certainly on that day in hindsight it was very obviously marginal and I should not have even tried.
I have flown there since in very light conditions and it was lovely.

[Riaan]

Hi Mike,
Very Valid ! Tanks for sharing, nice to have your input. and Yes it is an increadable nice place to fly on perfect conditions.

I agree If the wind is already strong a gust will get you in unrecoverable trouble because there is a thin margin for error and no place (distance to road) to recover. It is true on speedbar and big ears it is hard to kill the glider fast, thought a induced frontal collapse will suffice...You have to ensure it will not reinflate and the lines are all over you in strong wind... and get messy potentially still dragging you with a line snagged over a part of your body, arm, leg or neck..Better to take multiple wraps (up to there the lines allow) on the brake lines upon landing. This is crucial otherwise you will be dragged.

The point I wanted to emphasize was, that pre-frontal and frontal gust are much worse and longer than blue sky day gusts. Localised rainstorm or squall may double the gust component and for a very long periods. I.e. "Normal" gust is typically 2-4 knots on cycling typically (but not limited to) 3-10 seconds on a blue sky day.

On a blue sky day it is more like 3-4 knots gust component on top of the 10 -16 knot you are flying making it 14- 20 knots. On a overcast, potentially rainy, squally day the gust component would be typically 4-10 knots on top of the 10 -16 knot making it 14-26 knots easily for duration typically 3-10 (or longer) minutes which was exactly what happened on this day.

So if you don’t see (read on the water) it coming, and are not in front of the lift band and go land immediately, you haven’t got a snowballs hope especially if you were already in the upper reagon of wind strenght i.e above 14 knots and now still have to penetrate to the front of the ridge and front lower level of the lift band which now extent over the ocean. What makes matters worse is above 16 knots the wind is very turbulent due to the wind skimming of the rough ocean state.

So that makes glider control and penetration very hard and coming in for landing altitude vary as the gust cycle and you bump on the ridge or pseudo land causing the glider to pitch grabbing more wind and starting to drag you....The only recourse is take multiple wraps (up to there the lines allow) on the brake lines upon, or preferrably just before landing is crucial otherwise you will be dragged.

Like you said....
Some days are not meant to fly...However should we do and risk loosing some skin (or trashing the glider in the name of skill development(:-))... choosing a more forgivable terrain where being blown behind the ridge as parts of Burns, 2 Rocks or Quins will land you in, or drag you through, bush which should theoretically... be a lesser evil. Off course life makes us no promises, and a dead branch, broken glass can still puncture an artery and you don’t have your hands free to stop the bleeding while the power of the wind is on trying to control the glider in a howling wind or a limb snagged in lines...(:-)

Pfewww : I feel exhausted thinking of all the situations I have put myself in....

Paragliding definately more than a sport , it is a Life Long Obsession (:-))