Skip to main content

Parking problem

An Australian couple caused something of a parking problem with their vehicle in a quiet residential Sydney side-street. The issue was that their vehicle should have been in the air rather than on the ground, as it was a single engine Piper aircraft.
February 27, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
An Australian couple caused something of a parking problem with their vehicle in a quiet residential Sydney side-street. The issue was that their vehicle should have been in the air rather than on the ground, as it was a single engine Piper aircraft. The incident occurred when the couple encountered engine problems during a routine flight and although they tried to land their aircraft at a nearby airport, the aeroplane lost height too quickly as it lost power and soon proved unable to reach the airport. As the pilot struggled to maintain altitude, the Piper clipped some power lines, shearing off a wing and then tumbled upside down into the street, much to the alarm of the local residents.

Luckily the couple, and their dog, were able to scramble from the aircraft and nor did the Piper catch fire or were any other people injured in the crash. However, as the aircraft hit the power lines it did cut off electricity to around 7,000 homes and eight sets of traffic lights in the vicinity, causing additional traffic disturbance. The couple were taken to hospital following the incident for medical checks but were later allowed to leave having only suffered minor cuts and bruises. The dog was not able to comment on its traumatic descent or on its willingness to face future flights.

Related Content

  • US labour shortage: an ever-growing problem
    May 31, 2022
    It’s a tight labour market that is hurting the construction sector. But there are ways to ensure a company has the best possible recruitment drive, according to the AEM, Association of Equipment Manufacturers*.
  • PPRS: the positive side of structural failures
    March 27, 2018
    You learn from your failures, not your successes. That was the overall message for delegates during the day-two morning session on the impact of engineering structural failures. These lessons are also too often “painful”, said Anne-Marie Leclerq, deputy minister for infrastructure within the ministry of transport for the Canadian province of Quebec. On September 30, 2006, a span of the six-lane Concorde Bridge in Laval, near Montreal, collapsed crushing to death five people and injuring six. Only recently
  • Tram time
    November 20, 2014
    A driver of a compact Nissan car gave passengers waiting for a tram in the UK town of Oldham something of a surprise. Instead of the tram they expected to see, the small Nissan car drew to a halt in front of the stop.
  • Developments in hybrid vehicles
    February 27, 2012
    There is an array of future vehicle solutions in development - Mike Woof reports. Ever since Henry Ford's Model T showed that the motor car could provide transport for ordinary people rather than being an exclusive toy of the rich, vehicle numbers have exploded. In every country around the world, vehicle ownership continues to grow.