Incident Overview

Date: Tuesday 1 September 2015
Aircraft Type: Fairchild SA227-DC Metro 23
Owner/operator: Toll Aviation
Registration Number: VH-HPE
Location: Thangool Airport, QLD (THG) – ÿ Australia
Phase of Flight: Landing
Status: Substantial, repaired
Casualties: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Component Affected: Right propeller blade on the right engine.Right propeller blade on the right engine.
Investigating Agency: ATSBATSB
Category: Accident
A Swearingen SA227-DC Metro 23 aircraft, operating a freight run from Brisbane to Emerald via Thangool, encountered a kangaroo during landing. The pilot initiated a Distance Measuring Equipment (DME) arrival with a left circuit onto runway 28, touched down at 05:45, and subsequently struck a kangaroo. The propeller struck the animal, causing significant vibration and a twisted blade on the right engine.A Swearingen SA227-DC Metro 23 aircraft, operating a freight run from Brisbane to Emerald via Thangool, encountered a kangaroo during landing. The pilot initiated a Distance Measuring Equipment (DME) arrival with a left circuit onto runway 28, touched down at 05:45, and subsequently struck a kangaroo. The propeller struck the animal, causing significant vibration and a twisted blade on the right engine.

Description

The pilot of a Swearingen SA227-DC Metro 23 aircraft, registered VH-HPE, was conducting a scheduled freight run from Brisbane, to Emerald, via Thangool Airport, Queensland. Approaching Thangool, the pilot conducted a Distance Measuring Equipment (DME) arrival with a left circuit onto runway 28, touching down at 05:45 hours, just before first light. Shortly after touchdown, and with all landing gear wheels in contact with the ground, the pilot saw the glimpse of an animal flash from left to right in front of the aircraft. At the time, the aircraft was travelling at about 80 kt. The right propeller then struck the animal, later identified as a small kangaroo. The pilot reported that following the large bang associated with the propeller striking the animal, there was a lot of vibration throughout the aircraft, but no abnormal engine indications. The pilot continued the landing roll, and used ground idle rather than reverse thrust to slow the aircraft. The pilot taxied the aircraft to the parking bay, shut down the engines, then carried out an external inspection and found that one of the propeller blades attached to the right engine was twisted. The pilot was not injured. Following the incident, the operator replaced the right engine and propeller and arranged for the original engine to be further assessed by engineering staff. The next day, a Beechcraft B200 Super King Air operated by the Royal Flying Doctor Service was involved in a similar accident when it struck a kangaroo on landing at Thangool.

Source of Information

http://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/2015/aair/ao-2015-102.aspxhttp://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/2015/aair/ao-2015-102.aspx

Primary Cause

Propeller strike by an animal during landing.Propeller strike by an animal during landing.

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