Two aircraft collide during practice, one destroyed, both pilots survive, will return to flight duty

Two aircraft of the Australian military's Roulette aerobatic demonstration team collided over Gippsland (Victoria) Friday morning while practicing display maneuvers. One aircraft was destroyed, but the pilot ejected safely. The other pilot managed to recover his aircraft and return to base.

The Royal Australian Air Force is reporting that Flight Lieutenant Arnie Morscheck (photo, above) is in the hospital with a sore back after ejecting from his Pilatus PC-9A turboprop training aircraft. The other pilot, Flight Lieutenant Mark Ellis (photo, below), suffered no injuries in the accident. The RAAF has also stated that both pilots will be back on flying duty, and that there are no plans to review the safety record of the PC-9A, which so far is considered to be excellent.

The commanding officer of the RAAF, Air Marshal Angus Houston, told ABC Local Radio that he is relieved both pilots are safe.

"Well, the pilot that used great skill in recovering his aircraft, he will be in the air almost immediately," said Houston. "The other pilot, well it depends on the extent of his back injuries. So I can't tell you when he's likely to be back. But all I will say is that every time we have an ejection, a pilot will spend a little bit of time on the ground to allow his back to recover. So I imagine that Arnie Morscheck will have to undergo a period on the ground."

The PC-9A was introduced to the team in 1990 and has been operating incident-free for fifteen years. The Roulettes have only had three collision accidents in the 34 years since the team was formed, and all of them took place during taining flights from the East Sale base which they call home. The last accident took place in 1988, and there were also no deaths, but two pilots died in a mid-air in 1983, and four were kiled in 1962, when the predecessors to the Roulettes, the Red Sails, were involved in an accident that killed four pilots, two passengers and destroyed four aircraft.

"Clearly after what has happened, we'll have to modify the way we do our displays," added Houston, "but we'll do what we can to support those people we've made commitments to."

FMI: http://www.defence.gov.au/raaf/roulettes/about.htm