Here are the Australian aviation rego search results for 'VH-AJZ'.
The aircraft registration database was last refreshed from the Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) on
06/May/2025
On 29 September 2011 at 1240 Central Standard Time, a Gippsland Aeronautics GA-8 Airvan, registered VH-AJZ, departed Marree, South Australia with one pilot and six passengers for a scenic charter flight over Lake Eyre and surrounding regions. About 45 minutes after takeoff and while flying at a height of about 500 ft above ground level the pilot felt a shudder through the airframe, then heard a loud pop and the propeller stopped. The pilot carried out a successful forced landing on the Birdsville Track, approximately 135 km north-north-east of Marree.
The No. 5 piston of the aircraft’s single engine sustained a fatigue failure, resulting in severe mechanical damage that stopped the engine. The engine’s oil system was contaminated by metal chipping (spalling) from the bodies of two tappets because of contact fatigue to the tappets. This increased the risk of abnormal wear and failure of pistons and other engine components. The ATSB could not conclusively establish that this led to the piston failure, although similar failures in comparable engines had been attributed to that mechanism.
The No. 5 piston of the aircraft’s single engine sustained a fatigue failure, resulting in severe mechanical damage that stopped the engine. The engine’s oil system was contaminated by metal chipping (spalling) from the bodies of two tappets because of contact fatigue to the tappets. This increased the risk of abnormal wear and failure of pistons and other engine components. The ATSB could not conclusively establish that this led to the piston failure, although similar failures in comparable engines had been attributed to that mechanism.
Courtesy ATSB Report AO-2011-125
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Dasher was here....