Exact cause of fall from aircraft not established

Press, 30 January 1981, Page 2

Exact cause of fall from aircraft not established

PA Wellington The combination of a harness working loose, and a grab made at a door handle for support may have been the cause of a young woman’s falling from an aircraft near Pokeno, between Auckland and Hamilton, last May. says a report by the Inspector of Air Accidents. The woman, aged 22, fell to her death from he <"essnai aircraft, piloted by her! father, when the aircraft! went into a spin.

However, the/ report, released yesterday, says the exact cause of her fall was not established.

Police inquiries found no evidence of suicidal tendencies or any animosity between her and her father. Forensic investigation found no evidence of a struggle. “It is possible that after the stalling practice began, her harness became unlatched and she was unaware ot this. When the aircraft suddenly entered the unexpected spin, she may have grabbed the door handle for support and unlocked the door, after which the unstable air flow allowed the door to open far enough for her to fall from the aircraft,” the report says. The woman had been stay-

ing with her father on holiday and had flown with him several times. He was due for a licence renewal check flight and was authorised to practise turning and stalling. On the last stall the aircraft suddenly entered a spin, the pilot’s first solo spin, although he had practised these with an instructor.

The report says: “While he was concentrating on the recovery from the spin he heard his daughter call out, ‘Dad,’ then heard a bang. After the aircraft recovered from the spin, the pilot realised his passenger had fallen from the aircraft.”

He made a Mayday call to I the Ardmore tower. Pilots of i several aircraft in the area made low-level searches but the body was not found until next day, in a paddock. Painstaking examinations of the door and the safety harness showed them to be free from defects, apart from normal wear and tear. However, tests showed it was possible for clothing to foul the locking handle of the i harness and release the I catch. Reports of other pilots using harnesses with this type of catch confirmed this had happened before.