NEWS DESK
Crashed plane ‘engine failed’ Neil Walker neil@baysidenews.com.au A PRELIMINARY report into the fatal plane crash in Mordialloc last month has found the single-engine Cessna 172 was making its first flight since an engine replacement. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) is investigating the cause of the crash that killed pilot Anthony Liddell, 50, when the plane crashed onto Scarlet Street, Mordialloc at about 5pm on Friday 8 June. The Mount Martha resident, an employee of a maintenance company, was piloting the Cessna as the sole occupant after scheduled maintenance. In its preliminary report released
on 18 July, the ATSB said Mr Liddell broadcast an “engine failure” mayday to air Moorabbin Airport traffic control just before the plane came down in Scarlet Street narrowly avoiding houses in the residential area. The engine was tested on-ground before the fatal flight. “The aircraft initially contacted a power line and fence before coming to rest on a residential street against a parked car,” the ATSB report stated. “The pilot was fatally injured and a post-impact fuel-fed fire destroyed the aircraft. There was also damage to a residential property and the parked car.” The Cessna was built in 2006 and had 6348 hours in service and was used mostly for pilot flight training. Civil Aviation Safety Authority
(CASA) investigators, overseen by the ATSB, did not find evidence of engine mechanical failure. Damage to the plane’s propeller “was consistent with the engine not producing power at the time of impact”. Investigations are ongoing ahead of the release of a final report into the plane crash. “However, if any critical safety issues are identified during the course of the investigation we will immediately notify the relevant parties so that appropriate safety action can be taken,” ATSB transport safety executive director Nat Nagy said. The Cessna did not have a flight data recorder or cockpit voice recorder and it was not mandatory for either recorder to be installed in that type of aircraft.
Plane down: The Cessna crashed in Scarlet Street, Mordialloc. Picture: Supplied
Police patrol Lights, camera … HOLLYWOOD came to Frankston, Wednesday 18 July, when members of Somerville Highway Patrol ran Operation Hollywood in the southbound lanes of Peninsula Link. Over six hours police used an automated number plate recognition van to scan the plates of passing vehicles for anomalies, and pulled offenders over further down the road. Those nabbed included seven suspended drivers, drug driver, drivers of 29 unregistered vehicles, two unlicensed drivers, speeding driver and one driving an unroadworthy car. Somerville Highway Patrol’s Acting Senior Sergeant Pete Martin said the operation aimed to create high visibility policing and reduce road trauma. “Unauthorised drivers and unregistered vehicles are over represented in road trauma statistics,” he said. “Four people have lost their lives on local roads this year, and 81 have suffered serious injuries.” Acting Senior Sergeant Martin said road laws requiring drivers to slow down when passing emergency vehicles with the lights flashing had been in place for more than a year. “Yesterday I was horrified at the speed that some motorists drove when passing police standing on the roadside,” he said. “The next time the operation is run police cars dedicated to enforcing these laws and educating motorists will be involved.” The penalty for failing to slow to 40kph when passing an emergency vehicle with lights flashing is $282. “More importantly, failing to slow
down is putting police and other emergency workers in danger,” Acting Senior Sergeant Martin said.
Officially booked A TOYOTA van picked up outside Dromana Magistrates’ Court last week was sporting home-made plates: CPOAU92. The 53-year-old male driver, of Cheltenham, told police he was a self-appointed “Commonwealth Public Official of Australia” who didn't need to a licence or pay registration fees. Unsurprisingly, police found no basis for his claims, and had his white van impounded. The man will be summonsed to appear at court at a later date for unlicensed driving, unregistered, false plates and refusing to undergo an oral fluid test for drugs.
Shooting arrest
A FRANKSTON man, 31, has been arrested in relation to a shooting in Clayton South last month. It is alleged a man fired into the fence of a Westall Road building site at about 3.30pm on Thursday 21 June. The man was arrested without incident during a planned arrest at a property in McMahons Road, Frankston on Friday 20 July with the help of the Special Operations Group and Fugitive Task Force. He has been charged with possessing a prohibited firearm, prohibited use of a firearm, reckless conduct endangering life and drug possession offences.
LET’S CELEBRATE
Pink Ladies volunteer group celebrate 50 years of service to Frankston Hospital
THE Frankston Hospital Pink Ladies Auxiliary is famous for its bright pink uniforms, friendly volunteers, record fundraising achievements and their delicious home-made sandwiches. Peninsula Health’s longest running volunteer group is celebrating 50 years of service to the Frankston Hospital community. “We have raised almost $9 million since we started, which is used to buy equipment for the hospital,” explains
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Frankston Times
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Pink Ladies President, Pauline Ellerby, who joined the group in 1992. “We’ve helped buy all sorts of hightech equipment, some of which has cost around $1 million.” Anyone who has ever visited Frankston Hospital will have encountered the Pink Ladies delivering flowers, newspapers or at their renowned kiosk, where they sell food, coffee and an array of gifts. “The sandwiches are certainly
famous – when Health Minister Jill Hennessy came to visit recently she said I always remember the Pinkies’ Egg and Lettuce sandwich!” Pauline recalls. Originally started by Edna Vincent, the wife of one of the hospital’s first doctors, the group has been recognised many times for its hard work – winning the 2014 Victorian Premier’s Volunteer Award in the Metropolitan Volunteer Team of the Year Icon
category, and the 2010 Minister for Health Award for Volunteering in the Most Outstanding Team Achievement Award category. Brendon Gardner, Chief Operating Officer of Frankston Hospital, says the 68 current members, as well as all of the past volunteers, have been a big part of the hospital over the last half a century. “Congratulations to the Pinkies on 50 years of outstanding service.”
“Frankston Hospital would not be the hospital it is today if it wasn’t for their support helping us purchase state-of-the-art medical equipment which our team use to save lives, every day.” This August, Peninsula Health is hosting a celebration in honour of the Pinkies. If you are a past Pink Lady, we would love to hear from you. Please contact us on 9784 2674 or volunteers@phcn.vic.gov.au.