Flight requirement not met

Press, 27 September 1982, Page 4

Flight requirement not met

PA Wellington A student pilot who went missing from Ardmore air field on January 7 was not told to report his position to the tower, as required by two aviation manuals. The planning manual of the Aeronautical Information Publication and the Manual of Air Traffic Services required radio-equipped aircraft flying under visual flight rules to make position reports at least every 30 minutes, said the Chief Inspector of Air Accidents, Mr Ron Chippindale, in his report. However, it was not nor-

mal, practice for aircraft flying locally from Ardmore to follow this procedure, nor did the Ardmore control tower ■require such reports, he said. Mr Chippindale said that Paul William Clarke, aged 20, who held a restricted private pilot licence, left Ardmore in a Piper aircraft for a. one-hour practice flight at 4.51 p.m. on January 7._ There has been no trace of' the aircraft or Mr Clarke since. The Waitemata Aero Club, which ran the plane, discovered it was missing about 8 p.m. and alerted rescue

authorities half an hour later. The club’s chief flying instructor began an air search immediately and flew until nightfall. An extensive air

and ground search began the next morning and continued without success until January 11. Mr Chippindale said that Mr Clarke had experience with aircraft of the type he was flying, but had done no night flying. There was no emergency location beacon in the plane, which carried ■ fuel for about five hours flying. The cause .of the accident

could not be determined, he said. He recommended that the requirement for radioequipped planes flying locally on a flight plan should be more rigidly enforced. "It is normal practice In some areas of New Zealand to make an ‘operations normal’ call, but in other 'areas the practice is unusual. , “This reporting procedure facilitates greater awareness of flight plan responsibilities by pilots and controllers, and enables timely overdue ac-i’ tion to be taken.” Mr Chippindalc said. • ■ ' .