Yak-3 Incident At Wanaka

As someone who has only flown as P1 in gliders and thus been spoilt with excellent forward vision out of the canopy, could someone explain how the pilot of a big single engined tail dragger plans his landing? I understand the turning (carrier) approach method to keep the landing area in view until the flare, but wouldn’t you look out for potential obstructions on the approach?

I appreciate that he may have been preoccupied with other issues and that leaving items of heavy machinery in the middle of an airfield is asking for something to bump into them. Having said that surely you need to have a good look out of the window at your landing area before you commit yourself? I had a few cases where gliders landing ahead of me planted themselves in less than favourable positions and I had to alter things accordingly.

I must say I’m mildly surprised that I haven’t heard of an action by the Occupational Health and Safety agency, but the pilot/owner is suing all vaguely plausible targets for the cost of repairs.
https://www.odt.co.nz/regions/wanaka/warbird-pilot-sues-organisers

Arthur Dovey told the Otago Daily Times this week a writ had been filed in the High Court at Wellington claiming damages for the cost of repairing his aircraft.

Mr Dovey said the claim was against Warbirds over Wanaka Airshows Ltd, which is owned by the Warbirds Over Wanaka Community Trust.

Four individuals involved in the running of the show were also named in the writ, Mr Dovey said.
…
Mr Dovey maintains that during the morning briefing before the show, pilots were not warned of the cherry pickers and no restriction was placed on where planes could land.

When landing a 1940s-era Soviet-made Yak-3, the pilot has restricted forward vision because of the aircraft’s extended nose and three-point landing attitude.
…

Its the availability of a wing that will decide that !

A friend who is active in the restoration of Yak-3/9/11 aircraft in California has stated that Yak-11 wings (which is what the subject aircraft started out as) are basically unobtanium these days.

Maybe one is “obtanium” for a little while at least?

Here is a Yak-11 project kit inclusive of a wing now on ebay for $115k, buying it, and selling off the engine and fuselage might make rebuilding this damaged Yak 3 a viable outcome?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1952-YAK-11-YAKOVLEV-Full-restoration-project-80-complete/163010579407?hash=item25f4300bcf:g:97cAAOSwTORa2zdZ&vxp=mtr&rmvSB=true

Regards

Mark Pilkington

I think it might be the Texas Air Museum that has a grounded.YAK11 racer that flew like a pig . Might be a option for a wing donor ifit hasn’t been chopped around !

^^^^^^ Hopefully with the commentators still in it 🙂

Ironically, there was an old dunger of a caravan at the edge of the airfield for the commentators to blather on about for ages, before it was hosted up by helicopter and dropped in the adjacent field.

While it might be seen as old fashioned, I wonder of the precaution of having a runway caravan control in position might save accidents. I did this job at an RAF airfield for several years and I recall that the vintage aircraft club using Finmere used one for fly ins. Several glider sites use them. A red verey fired at the right time grabs attention and has a clear message !

Its the availability of a wing that will decide that !

A friend who is active in the restoration of Yak-3/9/11 aircraft in California has stated that Yak-11 wings (which is what the subject aircraft started out as) are basically unobtanium these days.

A case study in being misleading while making factual statements (by the media, not Mark P).
While the comments about the advantages of grass runways are correct, it is important context that the WW2 fighters were regularly landing on the seal – including the other Yak-3 immediately beforehand. For some reason my photos of Yak-3s landing haven’t made it to the top of my processing pile yet…
And while it might have been fairly clear that ZK-YYY wasn’t heading for the grass runway on this occasion, it would have been rather late before someone focusing on it would be sure that the seal wasn’t intended.

There is obviously a lot more to this story to be investigated by the Powers to be, but its claimed the Cherry Pickers were sitting on an area of “ungroomed” land between the main runway and the grass runway.

However there are also claims that this area had been operating as a second grass runway for the Airshow, and also that the presence of the Cherry Pickers was not part of the pilot briefing, obviously such claims and issues are a matter for the formal investigation.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12025852

Warbirds over Wanaka plane crashed on ‘ungroomed’ land

More detail has emerged of the circumstances around Saturday’s crash of a Yak 3 aircraft at the Warbirds Over Wanaka International Airshow.

Previous media reports have suggested the 1940s-era Soviet aircraft, piloted by Arthur Dovey, of Wanaka, was landing on the grass runway at Wanaka Airport when it hit a cherry picker.

However, aviation sources with a better view of the crash say that is incorrect.

The Otago Daily Times has been told the crash happened on the wide strip of ground between the sealed runway and the grass runway – an area of “ungroomed” land obvious from the air but not from the spectator stands at the show.

They were to be used for a new pyrotechnic display.

On the day of the crash, they were in the same position they were in at a rehearsal the previous day.

Five people working on the display were nearby and about to move to the cherry pickers when the crash happened.

Dovey had been invited to open the show after bad weather prevented a United States Air Force F-16 fighter jet being able to do that.

The show was to be Dovey’s last.

He has declined to discuss the crash with the media.

However, sources have told the ODT, that following his display, Dovey, in his three-tonne World War 2 fighter was to land on the grass runway.

Yaks are more easily controlled when landing on grass than on a sealed runway.

However, he chose to land between the runways.

Prior to the show, pilots attended a briefing where, it is claimed, their attention was not drawn to the presence of the cherry pickers.

A source told the ODT as Dovey approached the airfield, it would have been clear to airshow organisers he was not about to land on the grass runway.

He could have been told to “go around”, but that did not happen.

While Airways provides the show with communications equipment, adviser Emma Lee said yesterday the organisation did not provide air traffic control services at airshows.

“Due to their nature, airshows like this are not managed by air traffic control.

“The airshow is overseen by the airshow director.”

Dovey’s landing approach was considered by an experienced pilot to be “very fast”, so fast in fact it would normally have led to the pilot choosing to “go around”.

Because of the rough ground, the plane was also bouncing.

The Yak is a “tail dragger” and once in its landing position, the pilot has no forward vision.

One wing was ripped off the Yak where it connects to the fuselage, the fuselage itself was badly damaged, and the propeller hit the ground, causing major damage to the engine.

Both cherry pickers were badly damaged.

The Civil Aviation Authority is carrying out a safety investigation into the incident and a spokeswoman said it was likely the authority’s health and safety unit would also investigate.

Show general manager Ed Taylor declined to comment yesterday on the crash except to repeat show organisers were carrying out their own internal investigation.

He could not say when that would be completed.

The attached aerial view of Wanaka will at least provide a better understanding about where the Cherry Pickers were located, relative to the main runway and the grass runway.

Flying in to Wanaka Airport

Runway orientation is 11 and 29. The main sealed runway is 1,200m long by 30m wide, supported by a fully irrigated grass runway of 900m long by 40m wide. All itinerant VFR pilots should familiarise themselves with the Wanaka Aerodrome information which is fully detailed in the NZAIP, Vol 4.

http://www.wanakaairport.com/airfield-users/airfield-information

The ‘ungroomed ground” can be seen between the two runways, and separates the 30M wide main runway and 40M Grass runway by a width of @78M.(according to Google Earth!)

A very unfortunate accident and severe damage to the aircraft, but thankfully the pilot is unharmed and thats the main thing.

Clearly there is lessons to be learnt from this incident and the investigation report should resolve and identify the root cause.

Regards

Mark Pilkington

Instead of cherry pickers couldn’t you just use frangible sticks that don’t pose a hazard to anyone?
I’ve seen this done at barn storming days presumably just in case the barn storming aircraft is having a bad day and hits one.
It’s not inconceivable that an aircraft could fly into the cherry picker.

Thanks Errol.
Nice photos (as always!)
Sure explains a lot.

Andy

I have a couple of photos that will help give context to the setting, I’ll post in a couple of days when there is less chance of the media stealing them.

Photos from the practice day – Sport plane display
www.flickr.com/photos/errolgc/sets/72157689625336940/with/41304715881/

Metal prop means automatic engine bulk strip. Wooden blades probably inspection of prop shaft.

Judging by the value of Yak machines at the moment

Zk-YYY had been on Trademe, NZ’s eBay clone, for more than a year before the accident, most recently for NZ$799,000 (I think). The listing’s gone now.

Very happy no serious injuries (except ego maybe, wallet defiantly)

What I see on review:
Right wing obviously gone, outboard of gear.
Tail slammed down on ground, collapsing tail wheel and denting at least the rudder.
Right gear collapse…
…causing the propeller to hit ground at <5 mph (looked to be near stop).

The engine was at idle, propeller hit soft ground, so I doubt any engine problem.
If propeller is straight then IMHO engine is OK. Naturally a careful inspection of prop and hub in order.

Regardless, expensive to fix, and that is if the jigs for the Yak 3 still around.

On a good note, if they stick it in a museum, will take up less space. 😛 (ok, cheap joke to add some levity)

I have a couple of photos that will help give context to the setting, I’ll post in a couple of days when there is less chance of the media stealing them.
In the meantime, a example of dual runway use from practice day on Friday
https://flic.kr/p/Hxxns1

I too have had a similar thought to AnthonyG, in that the damage can’t simply be contained to the wing alone. It looks like the cherry picker sustains some damage. In the video it also looks like there is some wire briefly caught up in the prop after the impact, possibly from a fence, which is then released again (0:20 to 0:23 in the second video posted above). The prop also seems to kick up dirt, so presumably it sustained damage and thus the engine will need a strip down too?

In the video I don’t see the Yak veer to the right, simply it isn’t landing exactly parallel to the paved runway.

Firstly, pleased to hear no one was hurt

However he seemed to hit that cherry picker pretty darn hard. There would have been a LOT of energy in that impact to sheer the wing off like that. One would wonder where it all went? I suspect a lot of it must have transferred into the steel fuse frame the wing was bolted to? It’s probably the damage we cant see that will cost the most……

Nothing money wont fix I guess

Its the availability of a wing that will decide that !