[f-AA] Handpropped - pilotless takeoff

[Don Harvie]

Here are some links:

<http://www.navy.gov.au/units/805sqn/documents/Auster_Shootdown.pdf>

<http://www.henkimaa.nu/mow/things/auster.html>

This is a humorous version:
<http://www.australianstorytelling.org.au/txt/runaway.php>

HTH,
Don H

Ian Harvie wrote:
> Todd, there is a well documented account of an Auster at Bankstown 
> airport, Sydney in the fifties that took off after being propped. It 
> flew up and started to do lazy circles over Sydney gradually heading 
> towards the coast because of a light wind. Fearing it might run out of 
> fuel and crash in the city, the airforce was called in to shoot it down. 
> (What over the city?!)But their guns jammed. As a result the Navy was 
> summoned to the rescue and they had to fly from Nowra some distance 
> South. By the time they got there it was well out to sea, but they never 
> the less did shoot it down and it crashed into the sea.
> There have been stories about efforts to find it lately as they knew 
> more or less where it went down. This whole shamozzle took a couple of 
> hours.
> 
> Ian
> 
> Todd Pattist wrote:
>> Hi all,
>>
>> The subject of aircraft stability has come up and I'm interested in 
>> cases where an airplane, like my Champ, has been handpropped without a 
>> proper tiedown and has gone to full throttle and escaped.  I recall some 
>> cases where the airplane takes off, but I can't recall all the details 
>> of what type aircraft, or exactly how far away it flew.  Can anyone fill 
>> me in, possibly giving me a link to an accident report or just firsthand 
>> recollection.  How far can our airplanes fly without a pilot?  To fuel 
>> exhaustion?  Or just to a spiral-in crash at the far end of the runway?
>>
>> Thanks for any info.
>> Todd

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