Ben Wilhelmi

aircraft accident, Tanzania, part 12

 

I’ve just found an old picture of the larger area. Meet Empakai Crater and its salt lake. The rim towers at 11.000 feet. The airstrip, Engoveroni, lies on the lower left corner…yes that little green strip.

once in a while I take a walk while the clinic goes on and this what we see from the next ridge. As said before, at a slope of 1 to 11, the Vertical Speed Indicator will show 600 ft down on take off. I just love this challenging airstrip, with a lot of respect too.

 

so now our garden starts to look like an open abstract art gallery.

here is the propeller. Any idea to reuse that except for a lower glass table? Our mechanic wants to make tyre levers out the blades. Maybe we should call our friend Wieke, an art designer in Arusha,  and see what she’d do about this.

we had had second thoughts whether to bring the engine back…looking at this crushed assembly…

but with a bit of stripping and cleaning , we went from this to that!

so with a few parts to change, we hope the factory will accept an exchange.

in the meantime another piece of art hanging in the garden. There are some crashed wings a bit further and the latest propeller cone below.

 

even the table survived the crash and is to be straightened out. The thing was located in the external belly pod that had been ripped off on impact.

aircraft accident, Tanzania, part 10

 

as a reminder, this was the general aerial view of the crash site.

 

up close…

 

Jacek salvaging a trophy, the propeller cone.

 

the left wing, which became right wing from our point of view, got a bit separated from the cabin. Notice the black gap. And then the angle between the leading edge, up left, and the top windshield, down left…it should be a straight line.

Here is another interesting angle. The low part of the picture shows the right wing end trashed by a tree, then it goes straight to the cabin. The left wing, the far one that is, shows that impressive forward angle.

 

The landing gear struts looked OK, amazingly enough, but it is such a hard work to remove that with our limited time out there, we decided to remove only the whole wheel assemblies, only 4 bolts each and disconnect the brake line. The nose wheel and strut had been partially ripped off so there was only one twisted bolt to remove. Take a minute to pose on the landing gear…On impact the optional fiberglass belly pod and content were ripped off. Even if they had a cushioning effect, they still damaged the real belly. It means the landing gear struts got compressed big time towards the wings, past the belly line, then came back to normal position, without obvious damage! That’s serious spring capabilities. Congratulations to the Cessna engineers (obviously not the same ones who design accessibility to parts…)

 

steep slope, crappy vegetation, that’s why we brought the pick up as high as we could…

 

a little reward the next morning!

 

our campsite. 10 Celsius in the morning and rain…

by 10 am, we had packed the Cruiser carefully, protecting all the gear an equipment with straps, foam mattress, crushed empty bottles and old tyres. I just hate rattling noises for the discomfort first (especially for a 7h trip back) and also because I can’t help feeling we’re destroying something if it rattles against another part. We could have spent another morning for some last parts but we were constrained by time. We told the Masai they could use whatever they saw fit from the wreck. And we left ready for some stunning landscapes across the Ngorongoro Highlands. We didn’t expect the light rain and the heavy fog but it gave a certain touch to the trip. More soon for these shots.

 

Now, last week I overflew the wreck, well what was left of it…we had told the Masai to help themselves, and they just did that!

the whole tail section and one wing are missing, the other wing seriously hacked, we assume to retrieve some fuel though we had told them to be careful with that but try to make Masai reasonable…now we expect some fire injuries to come. We had let between 50 to 100 lt leak on the ground, we couldn’t access all the fuel left, we were surrounded by Masai who were obviously not pleased with that waste. I was not pleased either for ecological reasons but what to do without jerrycans? Kerosene lamps and stoves are dangerous enough as such. Fill those things with aviation gas…

so the other wing has been hacked for the fuel bladder but the cut is clean and rectangular, as is the case for the vertical fin below. This is quite typical, a large piece of aluminum cut out carefully out of a flat surface…

no sign of the 2 stabilizers. They might be used as tables? They’re flat enough for that…A little enquiry might prove interesting.

as a reminder this is the initial wreck before the double salvage process.

 

we estimate our salvage expedition to be worthwhile, not to mention the fun aspect in such a bush trip and gain of experience, the booty is worth past 50.000$! That is if we ever use each part, which of course is not going to happen… but the flying instruments at 20.000$ for the whole lot, the 2 wing tip tanks at 7000 a piece, the engine hopefully at 14.000, the windows at 500 a piece (replaced twice so far after burglaries), fuel pumps, wheel assemblies, seats… who knows, if somebody needs spares, contact us. Or just for a donation, most welcome. The new 2nd hand airplane can cost anything up to 220.000$ these days.

aircraft accident, Tanzania, part 2

 

so the accident happened last Tuesday. We did 2 flights to rescue our colleagues and passengers. All were released within a coupla days. That includes the 4 dead ones according to a lousy local newspaper.

On the Wednesday, the colleagues were finally released and we had had time to make plans to fly there the next day, and drive later on if the parts to salvage were worth such a long bush trip (luckily for me they were).

My remaining colleague and pilot, our financial director (for her first flight with us, that was quite one serious trip), an inspector, then a veteran and former colleague joined the gang, and myself flew to Empakai crater on Thursday. The inspector was most impressed by the special airstrip and the surroundings! But he decided that nevertheless the conditions were impressive and far away from the books, we had done well over the years.

After landing we took a short walk towards the wreck, a few hundred meters away

mountainous terrain, slopes and ravines at 6500 ft.

the green bag contains basic tools.

 

Oldonyo Lengai, the majestic volcano. A deity locally but that didn’t prevent the accident…

 

our Masai watchmen on duty. Nothing was stolen, they did a good job. They just borrowed the airplane seats and made themselves comfy. They also had gathered all the spread out things from the aircraft under the retrieved belly pod, that’s the thing with the red cross that had been ripped off on impact 30 meters away after which the plane bounced and flipped over.

we were a bit shocked and in awe on the spot: the wreck looks way worse seen up close than from the air!

 

The nose is quite mangled, the engine had been ripped off and is now lying just right of the aircraft.

 

The airstrip is on the ridge up there…

 

to be continued…

aircraft accident, Tanzania

 

Engoveroni, a most difficult airstrip on the slope of a crater, Empakai, in the Ngorongoro highlands. At 6500 ft our Cessna 206’s seriously lack power. A turbocharger would be welcome. The airstrip itself is located on a ridge, there is no way a safe go around can’t be done, the airstrip slope is at 11% (for the pilots, the VSI shows 600 feet a minute down on take off). So when something went wrong just before landing, the pilots tried a U turn in a narrow valley and unfortunately hit the side …

that’s the white speck in the middle of this picture. The airstrip sits on the upper left.

 

quite in the middle again. Brian at the controls while I shoot during the second flight to rescue the passengers. Just cuts and bruises and a wrist fracture…

 

 

they didn’t miss by much….

 

some cropped pictures for details. Masai people came to the rescue, very helpful. Nobody died whatever the f... rumors said.

the red cross…that’s our belly pod which was ripped off on impact, then the airplane flipped over 30m away. Notice the white spots? The medicine bottles and jars littered along the crash path. The passengers looked terrible, were in pain obviously, there is blood everywhere inside the cabin which is only a bit crushed by the way(thanks Cessna for the good design) but most have been released from hospital already.

Wings are chewed, the tail is nearly severed, the engine is completely ripped off the aircraft, the propeller looks designed by Picasso…

 

 the belly pod and the medicine trail...

 

a better view of the valley side.

a friend mentionned a broken butterfly…

 

we flew again today with various team members and an inspector to have a close look and salvage many little things like instruments. It looks way worse from the ground than from the air!

And impressively enough there is a lot more to salvage so it was decided to drive there tomorrow with a pick up and bring the big stuff back. A little adventure awaits Jacek and I. Oh yeah baby…

 

to be continued….

lake Natron, aerial photography

 

northern Tanzania, Rift valley. here a detail of the salt crust

 

in the rain season, the lake looks like a normal lake, the salts have been submerged

 

a colorful delta thanks to the muddy river flowing in.

 

when the rains stop, the water recedes from the shoreline and leaves interesting salt marks on the shoreline.

parallel lines due to irregular evaporation process?

 

 

 

on the road, USA

I’ve seen much better marketing than that….

 

those cars had character, right? Look at the ugly shapeless donkey behind the blue Bel Air…

 

road side letter boxes, unseen in Europe.

 

pick a US map and pick all the European names, it will keep you busy for a while. Then the identical names will show by dozens. Like Sacramento. We’re here in Arizona, not near San Francisco.

 

this car wreck must be part of a road safety campaign. Such an old piece of junk must have been left there on purpose. Route 66 near Oatman, Arizona.

 

Ok I’d change the paint but I wouldn’t mind such a toy in Tanzania.

 

typical landscapes nearby towns. Billboards all over. The ad for gun is mind blowing for Europeans….

Flying the bush, Tanzania

 

various pictures over my years in Tanzania.

That pilot didn’t judge the soft sand properly and struck the propeller in.

 

Make sure to clear the goats or whatever else from the strip before take off.

 

One narrow airstrip…which is also a road obviously and unfortunately. We keep on putting rocks and branches to tell morons to drive away from the airstrip but to no avail. The place is huge but these jerks have to drive on it…and damage it of course.

 

Diving and buzzing to chase the zebras off the airstrip. Great fun too! Up to 3 times is sometimes necessary to get rid of them… maybe flying just 2 or 3 m over their head just scares them too much and they stop thinking? The main trick is to “corral” them and direct them away. Just splitting a group of animals in the middle is useless. As opposed to the Red Sea  story, and this one is proven: the group will split apart and close in right away when the plane is gone. Most animals feel safer in  group...

 

Some areas are just terrible for flies!

 

The slippery and dreaded black cotton. That mud is heavy, wet, slippery like black ice and really sticky. Some motorbikes don’t have enough power and the back wheel can get jammed, stalling the engine

“Argile noire lourde” en français.

 

Floods! But the airstrip was spared.

 

A C206 in a climbing turn at over 240 mph? No, just a blocked pitot tube. Some water puddles on an airstrip had sent some particles through the tube. No more reliable airspeed readings… A few landings like that on our short airstrips was good experience.

 

Same airstrip but 2 weeks apart.

Flying Medical Service stories

 

Last week, I flew back another bullet victim from Loliondo to Arusha. More and more, it looks like the wild west out there… Some other bullet victims haven’t survive. Land issues usually between Maasai and Sonjo, not much women’s stuff. Over the years I've seen only case of a machete wound across the face, Rwanda style, a fight between 2 brothers over the wife...

I was in the bush pouring some oil in the aircraft engine and some Maasai woman was eagerly waiting for the empty oil container. Not a big deal you’d say except that she was also hoping to scrape some oil to moist her skin! Any kind of aft or oil is used as such but I doubt this is a healthy skin product, and worse, used oil would be spread on too. So as usual I pretended I only poured half a bottle in the engine. I know the container could be put to good use in the remote bush but the health issue is more important I ‘d say…

Fishing in my old road books, I remembered Pat Patten’s old story of a Maasai man going to the bush to teach his young son some shooting lessons. So here they go walking together, the son carrying an array of weapons, bows and arrows, spear, machete… at the turn of a cow track, they suddenly meet a leopard. The father quickly turns around to grab a weapon but not quick enough as the scared boy is already running away at full speed…with the weapons! And here is the leopard coming! So the father, while pondering the tough luck he’s got with such a moron son, still decides to protect him and to do so has to fight and kill the leopard with his bare hands. Not an obvious act to do but he did. The leopard jumped on him claws wide open while he grabbed the leopard’s neck. Adrenalin must have been flowing by the bucket because he managed to squeeze the throat hard and long enough to kill the leopard. Of course the leopard hadn’t been there just waiting, he had been battling too and ripping the man’s skin and muscles away, with probably more energy than usual! In the meantime marathon boy had called for help in the village and when the party arrived they found the father lying on the ground, unconscious, covered with blood and with the dead leopard. One Flying Medical Service 206 flew the man to the hospital. He has survived albeit a bit crippled. His status rose considerably in the area as Maasai people value scars from fight very much.

route 66, Arizona, scenes

a healthy vintage Corvette.

 

old Ford Model A, I guess.

 

a motel with interesting murals.

 

Chevrolet Impala…

 

back of a Chevrolet Bel Air, station wagon.

 

huh, this one brand will stay a mystery, not enough parts left over to recognise….

flying the bush, part 2, Tanzania

 

so flying the bush…I was just hoping for nice pictures, a bit of dust, a nice landscape in the background (the Rift Valley at a place called Ngaresero, 600 meter cliffs), a touch of color with the red Cessna 206…I got more than expected: a tricky airstrip, quite soft and sandy and rocky altogether. The pilot got a bit rough on the controls, kicked the pedals a bit too hard and jammed the nose wheel in the sand…

 

just starting to move and turning to align with the airstrip heading…

the propeller is still rotating here….the 300 HP engine roaring, creating a lot of noise.

 

then the engine stops, see the dead propeller, and the total silence sets in…impressive moment.

 

nobody was hurt but the pilot’s pride. Two propeller blades are pretty twisted.

 

show time for the Masai!

 

on take off in a dusty area, Olpirikata, near the Serengeti. The power of a propeller!

 

Nairobi Wilson airport. A bombed airplane! Mafia style. The story was never cleared up…

 

the plane stayed there, like this, visible by everyone for months! Parked on the main parking lot, nice impression for the tourists who have just arrived in the country…nice marketing.

 

you’ve got long hair? Blonde? Or worse, red haired? You’re in to feel like a circus animal amongst the remote tribes who have never or rarely seen this kind of hair. And real, not extensions.

 

some incredible airstrips. Some pilots have refused to use this one again after the first training visit. Ngoveroni, one way in one way out no matter the wind, altitude 6500 ft or 2000m, on the flank of a crater (Empakai), 400 m long but luckily quite steep. No going around once you’re committed to land because the crater slope is too steep for the aircraft capability. For the pilots, 600 ft down on the VSI during take off, aspirated engine…

 

so steep that once I got booby trapped: heavy mamas were in the back of the plane, and as soon as I got out, the plane sat on her tail. Not proud of myself even if the conditions were unusual. The mamas were yelling at me while I was shooting instead of getting them out. Maybe they were angry that there would be a long lasting proof of their big weight…you know there is no television out there. Little stories like this are gold for people, not for the victims of course, and they stay for long. Legends start for less, nicknames or references too. “It was the day when the plane sat on its tail because fat mama 1 and fat mama 2 were on board…”.

 

here, the steepness is quite visible, and also the airstrip banks to the right as well. Quite challenging airstrip.

flying the bush, part III, Tanzania

just a bit different than the airstrips I know in Belgium….the active volcano Oldoinyo Lengai in the distance. Engoveroni airstrip, Rift valley.

 

grasshopper scheme.

 

LSD effect? Nope just a super wide lens. A cool 16 mm Nikon lens I had borrowed.

 

Barabaig woman. She kept on touching, stroking the metal of the aircraft. It looks like she had never seen smooth surfaces like that.

 

friend of mine who trashed this plane by flying (by mistake) between power lines! He got sooooo lucky and so skillful to bring that plane back. He ripped off a big chunk of the wing…

…and an appreciable bit of the rudder

 

the rudder has been compressed vertically too! The antennas on the belly have been ripped off. No doubt he really flew between cables. Since that company owes me money, I congratulated that pilot for the ‘good’ job.

 

we had received a new airplane, so we went up for some fun, 2 planes together, filming, flying in formation…

 

bush repair…the main contact switch had died. I couldn’t start the engine. Luckily we had a solar engineer with us. He got an Xray machine switch in the hospital and ‘voilà’, an elegant fixture that held for 2 weeks while waiting for a spare part. Very stylish as the cables went outside the aircraft, from this picture to the engine compartment, glued with bandage tape.

 

a narrow wet and short airstrip (the brown bit) and brakes that were useless on that slippery mud…so I applied the emergency way: kick one pedal to force the plane to spin, left in this case, play with the power to control the U turn and full power in the end to push the plane the other way and stop. As you can see, this was not quite perfect, but at least I stopped before the end of the airstrip. Few pilots have performed that maneuver, which is not in the books. Only hearsay, no training. The next one was much better.

that mud would be called black cotton. La traduction en français semble difficile et varie selon les sites, ‘sol argileux lourd’ ou ‘terre noire à coton’…? Thick, soft, extremely slippery and very sticky…the worst kind. But potentially fun.