Gliding Fatality in Vic, Aus.

[elZee]

Sad News, just heard on the TEN TV News.

Mid-air over the Dooki Hills near Sheparton, Victoria, Australia.

One Fatality, no further details.

Sincere condolences to the family =(

elZee

[elZee]

"elZee" > wrote in message
...
> Sad News, just heard on the TEN TV News.
> Mid-air over the Dooki Hills near Sheparton, Victoria, Australia.
> One Fatality, no further details.
> Sincere condolences to the family =(
> elZee

Just did a further search. This from News.com.au via AAP

A MAN died and another man was injured when the gliders they were flying
crashed today in central north Victoria.
Police said the gliders had taken off in Benalla and crashed at Dookie
North, near Shepparton, this afternoon.
The accident, which was reported to police around 4pm (AEST), killed a man
aged in his 60s, a police spokesman said.
He said a second man, aged in his 50s, who managed to parachute to safety,
suffered a broken arm in the collision.
The gliders had come down 600m apart in a paddock, near the corner of
Proctors and Boundary roads, the spokesman said.
Police were tonight investigating the incident and a report would be
prepared for the Coroner, he said.
The injured man was reportedly in a satisfactory condition in the Goulburn
Valley Base Hospital, a Rural Ambulance spokesman said.

elZee

[Mal.com]

Hunt for clues to freak glider crash


By NICK HIGGINS




THE wreckage of two gliders which collided over the Dookie Hills on Sunday
was examined yesterday by a gliding club instructor, coroner and police
officers.

A Moonee Ponds man, Mr David Coup, 63, was killed as a result of the crash
while a second pilot, 53, of Flemington, survived after deploying his
parachute.

He was taken to Goulburn Valley Base Hospital and treated for a broken arm.

Among those at the crash site yesterday was gliding instructor with the
Benalla-based Gliding Club of Victoria, Mr John Millot.

The glider flown by the surviving pilot, believed to be an instructor,
appeared largely intact and Mr Millot said this suggested it had a
"relatively gentle" descent with the most obvious structural damage being
found underneath the aircrafts nose.

He said because the pilot had bailed out of the glider it was unusual for
the canopy to remain partly attached to the glider.

"Normally the canopy would completely detach, I would have to speak to the
pilot to find out what happened," Mr Millot said.

He said it was common for pilots to wear parachutes and he believed the dead
pilot would also have worn one.

The canopy of the glider flown by Mr Coup was found 200m from the rest of
the aircraft and there has been speculation the pilot may have released the
canopy and attempted to bail out.

The glider was quite damaged but it is unclear what damage occurred mid-air.

Both pilots had several years experience and flew regularly from Benalla.

"They were not novices. They were flying relatively high-performance,
cross-country ma-chines," Mr Millot said.

He said it was the first time he had known anyone from the gliding club to
use a parachute.

Both men were flying modern, German-made LS7 gliders made of carbon, glass
fibre and reinforced plastics and glass.

The gliders came to rest about 600m apart.

Mr Millot said he would compile a report that he would provide to the
coroner.

Members of the gliding club yesterday drew strength from each other as they
sat at the club house remembering a fellow pilot and friend.

"The pilot was well liked," one member said.

"He was a good bloke and now we dont have him."

[Coop]

Thom wrote:

> On Thu, 31 Mar 2005 09:14:59 GMT, "Mal.com" >
> wrote:
>
>
>>Hunt for clues to freak glider crash
>>
>>
>>By NICK HIGGINS
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>THE wreckage of two gliders which collided over the Dookie Hills on Sunday
>>was examined yesterday by a gliding club instructor, coroner and police
>>officers.
>>


etc.

Now that's what I call good reporting. Factual information, and
speculation labelled as such. Give the man a bouquet.

Coop

[Thom]

On Thu, 31 Mar 2005 09:14:59 GMT, "Mal.com" >
wrote:

>
>Hunt for clues to freak glider crash
>
>
>By NICK HIGGINS
>
>
>
>
>THE wreckage of two gliders which collided over the Dookie Hills on Sunday
>was examined yesterday by a gliding club instructor, coroner and police
>officers.
>
>A Moonee Ponds man, Mr David Coup, 63, was killed as a result of the crash
>while a second pilot, 53, of Flemington, survived after deploying his
>parachute.

Hi
Does anyone know what kind of parachute it was or how he got hurt?
>
>He was taken to Goulburn Valley Base Hospital and treated for a broken arm.
>
>Among those at the crash site yesterday was gliding instructor with the
>Benalla-based Gliding Club of Victoria, Mr John Millot.
>
>The glider flown by the surviving pilot, believed to be an instructor,
>appeared largely intact and Mr Millot said this suggested it had a
>"relatively gentle" descent with the most obvious structural damage being
>found underneath the aircrafts nose.
>
>He said because the pilot had bailed out of the glider it was unusual for
>the canopy to remain partly attached to the glider.
>
>"Normally the canopy would completely detach, I would have to speak to the
>pilot to find out what happened," Mr Millot said.
>
>He said it was common for pilots to wear parachutes and he believed the dead
>pilot would also have worn one.
>
>The canopy of the glider flown by Mr Coup was found 200m from the rest of
>the aircraft and there has been speculation the pilot may have released the
>canopy and attempted to bail out.
>
>The glider was quite damaged but it is unclear what damage occurred mid-air.
>
>Both pilots had several years experience and flew regularly from Benalla.
>
>"They were not novices. They were flying relatively high-performance,
>cross-country ma-chines," Mr Millot said.
>
>He said it was the first time he had known anyone from the gliding club to
>use a parachute.

Is he aware he'se eligable for the Catapillar Club?

THOM
>
>Both men were flying modern, German-made LS7 gliders made of carbon, glass
>fibre and reinforced plastics and glass.
>
>The gliders came to rest about 600m apart.
>
>Mr Millot said he would compile a report that he would provide to the
>coroner.
>
>Members of the gliding club yesterday drew strength from each other as they
>sat at the club house remembering a fellow pilot and friend.
>
>"The pilot was well liked," one member said.
>
>"He was a good bloke and now we dont have him."
>
>