Experts probe plane crash site Stephen Taylor steve@baysidenews.com.au ACCIDENT investigators have wrapped up the on-scene phase of their probe into the crash of a homemade plane into a Chelsea house which killed the pilot last Tuesday afternoon. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau deployed three investigators, specialists in aircraft operations and engineering, to the accident site at the corner of The Strand and Camp St. The pilot, John Francis Stephenson, of Hampton East, aged 77, died when his Vanâs RV-6A fell from the sky at about 1.30pm on Tuesday last week. The pilot of 40 years was highly regarded for his skills. He built the plane in 1999. His last flight out of Moorabbin airport was expected to last only a few hours and he was reported flying south along the foreshore before the planeâs engine malfunctioned. Police, SES, CFA, ambulance officers and confused onlookers rushed to the crash scene to be confronted by scattered debris and smoke from the plane which was wedged between a house and a shed. Mr Stephensonâs devastated family took time last week to express their relief that injuries to those on the ground had been avoided. His family issued a statement advis-
ing they were âshocked and shatteredâ at the tragic accident. âWe are extremely grateful that no one else was seriously injured in this accident.â âHe was a very experienced pilot whose enthusiasm, energy, and optimism for life was enjoyed by all who knew him.â The statement added: âJohn was a loving husband, treasured father of four and inspirational grandfather who will be greatly missed.â The investigators spent three days examining the wreckage, engine, pilot records, maintenance logs, weather conditions, and interviewing witnesses. They then handed back responsibility of the site to local police. They took back to Canberra a number of aircraft components for detailed technical examination. This included sections of the flight controls and one wing, including several GPS units and an engine monitoring unit. A report by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau on amateur-built aircraft for the period 1988-2010, seen by The News, offers an insight into amateur assembled planesâ safety. During the past 30 years, it states, there has been significant growth in the number of amateur-built planes, designed for personal use, from an original design, established plans or kit. Accident data compared accidents
PSOs deployed at Bonbeach
Crash site: Air crash investigators sift through the plane crash debris at Chelsea and piece together parts of the aircraft to try to determine the cause of the accident. Picture: Gary Sissons
involving amateur-built aircraft and those of similar factory-built aircraft to help identify whether the rate and types of accidents differed between the two groups. The ATSB found amateur-built aircraft had an accident rate three times higher than comparable factory-built aircraft conducting similar flight operations. The fatal and serious-injury-accident rate was more than five times higher in amateur-built aircraft, in particular due to relatively more serious-injury accidents. The pilots of amateur-built aircraft involved in accidents were significantly more experienced overall than factory-built aircraft accident pilots. However, they were significantly less
experienced in flying that type of aircraft when they crashed. Over half of the accidents were caused by mechanical events - mainly complete or partial engine failures. Following the amateur-built phase one test period, mechanical failures were still significantly more common than in factory-built aircraft. A quarter of accidents were from âloss of aircraft controlâ. Structural failures were not common precursors of amateur-built aircraft crashes. Crash and forced-landing accidents were more frequent in amateur-built aircraft. Crash and hard landings, and runway excursions, were more likely to result in serious injury from an amateur-built aircraft accident than from factory-built plane accidents.
Ward grants still on chopping block Neil Walker neil@baysidenews.com.au AN incoming state government will press ahead with axing councillorsâ discretionary ward funds no matter which major political party wins next monthâs state election. The News can reveal the Liberal and Labor parties both intend to ban ward grants as part of a wider clampdown on councillorsâ conduct across Victoria. The Local Government Inspectorate investigated the use of ward funds by 32 of the stateâs councils last year and found just four councils â Greater Dandenong City Council, Maribyrnong City Council, South Gippsland City Council and Greater Geelong City Council - had âdemonstrated accountable practicesâ when distributing ward funds.
The Coalition state government moved to ban ward funds as part of a bill to set higher conduct standards for councillors but was unable to pass the legislation before the end of Parliamentâs sitting term before next monthâs state election. Labor spokesman for local government Richard Wynne told The News the opposition agreed with most of the provisions within the legislation but had failed to reach compromise with the state government on some of the detail. âThis legislation has been sitting in the parliament for weeks and weâve been ready to debate it,â Mr Wynne said. âIt shows how chaotic this government has become that they couldnât get such an important piece of legislation passed.â
Mr Wynne said Labor would âabsolutelyâ seek to scrap the ward grants program across Victoria if it wins government next month. âIt is vital the use of public funds is transparent,â he said. Local Government Minister Tim Bull said the Coalition government âis committed to implementing reforms to strengthen council governance and councillor conduct.â âA re-elected Napthine Government will ensure this Bill is re-introduced and passed as quickly as possible at the beginning of the next term of Parliament,â Mr Bull said. âThe only reason this much-needed reform has not already become law is due to Laborâs obstructionism in the Parliament.â Mr Wynne said Labor had disagreed
on giving mayors the power to throw councillors out of council chambers during debates and removing the right of an individual councillor to abstain from voting on a matter before council. He said Labor also did not back the Coalitionâs push to have an independent person be involved in the selection of council CEOs. âThatâs a matter for them,â Mr Wynne said. Kingston Council changed its ward funds procedures after the review by Victoriaâs municipal watchdog but has become embroiled in controversy due to allegations of conflicts of interest around ward funds made by Liberal Mordialloc MP Lorraine Wreford. See âConflict continues over ward grantsâ, Page 5.
PROTECTIVE Services Officers have begun patrols at Bonbeach Train Station. Carrum MP Donna Bauer said PSOs would patrol the train platforms, car parks and immediate surrounds. âPSOs are helping to prevent antisocial behaviour, property damage, violence and alcohol and transportrelated crime on our rail network,â Mrs Bauer said. âWe have increased our initial commitment to deliver 940 PSOs on our rail stations by adding a further 96 to the program. âJust as commuters at rail stations that already have PSOs feel safer, Iâm sure the people who use Bonbeach station will feel safer as well. This latest deployment means three stations in my electorate now have PSOs patrolling â Seaford, Carrum, and now Bonbeach. Kananook will come on board in the next couple of weeks.â After this weekâs deployment Victoria will have 929 PSOs patrolling 163 stations. âAn independent survey of train passengers shows the presence of PSOs makes them feel safer at rail stations,â Mrs Bauer said. Night-time train users gave PSOs almost universal approval with 94 per cent agreeing that PSOs are a good idea and 93 per cent stating that they would seek their help if they felt unsafe. New PSO recruits complete a 12week course that includes the same operational tactics and safety training undertaken by Victoria Police officers. Newly-graduated PSOs are then mentored by experienced officers at city loop rail stations for three months. âSince deployments began in February 2012, PSOs have issued more than 34,000 infringement notices for offences including being drunk, engaging in disorderly behaviour, carrying weapons and graffiti,â Mrs Bauer said. âOf these, more than 1,900 infringements were for drunkenness offences, with more than 4,000 involving ticketing offences and more than 25,000 transport offences.â
Clarification LAST weekâs article about Kingston Council exiting the aged care sector (âCouncil gets out of aged careâ, The News 15/10/14) stated Nixon House, Northcliffe Lodge and Corben House will be demolished. Kingston Council advises this is dependent on the future tender process.
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