Piaggio P.166
Encyclopedia
The Piaggio P.166 is a twin-engine pusher-type
utility aircraft
developed by the Italian
aircraft manufacturer Piaggio Aero
.
The aircraft is known as Albatross in South Africa
n military service.
The basic P.166 was a development of the P.136 amphibian and flew for the first time on 26 November 1957. Several were purchased for use as executive transports or as feeder and taxi aircraft. The improved P.166B was more powerful and had up to 10 seats; a prototype was first flown on 27 March 1962.
A further version, the 12 seater P.166C, with improved undercarriage, first flew on 2 October 1964.
P.166B Portofino
P.166C
P.166M
P.166S Albatross
P.166BL2
P.166BL3
P.166-DLR-MAR
South Africa
Piaggio P-166S Albatross aircraft, ZU MMI and ZS NJX, took off from Tarentaal airfield23°49′31.22"S 30°19′31.92"E near Tzaneen
having participated in an air show at the town the previous day. The aircraft were due to land at Rand Airport
in Germiston an hour and a half later. When it was determined at 13:30 that the aircraft were overdue in Germiston and that contact could not be established with any persons on board either aircraft, a full-scale search and rescue operation was launched. This operation involved SASAR, the Air Rescue Co-ordination Centre, the South African Police Service
, the Mountain Club
and a number of volunteers.
At least 12 search and rescue aircraft, ready to fly as part of efforts to find the two Albatross aircraft were grounded for 24 hours on Monday 15 August due to bad weather.
The wreckage of the two aircraft was found at 08:15 on Tuesday morning in the Mamotswiri Peak region by a SA Police Service helicopter
. All thirteen people aboard the two aircraft died in the crash.
Hannes Steyn, head of the Mopani Municipality Disaster Management Centre in Tzaneen, said: “They flew directly into the cliff.”
The South African Civil Aviation Authority announced that it had launched an investigation into the crash.
Pusher configuration
In a craft with a pusher configuration the propeller are mounted behind their respective engine. According to Bill Gunston, a "pusher propeller" is one mounted behind engine so that drive shaft is in compression...
utility aircraft
Utility aircraft
A utility aircraft is a general-purpose light plane or helicopter, usually used for transporting people or freight, but also for other duties when a more specialised aircraft is not required or available....
developed by the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
aircraft manufacturer Piaggio Aero
Piaggio Aero
Piaggio Aero Industries is an aircraft manufacturing company born from the former Rinaldo Piaggio SPA, an Italian company. The company is one of the world's oldest airplane manufacturers, and its planes have been well known from the early days of aviation history.Today, Piaggio Aero Industries is...
.
The aircraft is known as Albatross in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n military service.
The basic P.166 was a development of the P.136 amphibian and flew for the first time on 26 November 1957. Several were purchased for use as executive transports or as feeder and taxi aircraft. The improved P.166B was more powerful and had up to 10 seats; a prototype was first flown on 27 March 1962.
A further version, the 12 seater P.166C, with improved undercarriage, first flew on 2 October 1964.
Variants
P.166- First production version.
P.166B Portofino
- Powered by two 250 kW (340 hp) Lycoming IGSO-480 engines. Six built.
P.166C
P.166M
- Military version.
P.166S Albatross
- Coastal patrol, search and rescue version of the South African Air ForceSouth African Air ForceThe South African Air Force is the air force of South Africa, with headquarters in Pretoria. It is the world's second oldest independent air force, and its motto is Per Aspera Ad Astra...
. 20 built.
P.166BL2
- Powered by two 280 kW (380 hp) Lycoming IGSO-540-A1HLycoming O-540|-Specifications :-See also:-External links:...
engines.
P.166BL3
- Light utility transport version, powered by two 450 kW (600 hp) Lycoming LTP 101-600 turbopropTurbopropA turboprop engine is a type of turbine engine which drives an aircraft propeller using a reduction gear.The gas turbine is designed specifically for this application, with almost all of its output being used to drive the propeller...
engines.
P.166-DLR-MAR
- Maritime patrolMaritime patrolMaritime patrol is the task of monitoring areas of water. Generally conducted by military and law enforcement agencies, maritime patrol is usually aimed at identifying human activities....
version.
Operators
- Italian Air ForceItalian Air ForceThe Italian Air Force has gone under different names in different periods:*Regia Aeronautica , from 1923 to June 1946*Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana, the air force of Italian Social Republic during World War II...
- Corps of the Port Captaincies - Coast Guard
- Guardia di FinanzaGuardia di FinanzaThe Guardia di Finanza is a Italian law enforcement agency under the authority of the Minister of Economy and Finance. Like the Carabinieri, it is part of the Italian Armed Forces. The Guard is essentially responsible for dealing with financial crime and smuggling; it has also evolved into Italy's...
- Italian Ministry of Merchant Marine
- Somalian Aeronautical Corps
South Africa
- South African Air ForceSouth African Air ForceThe South African Air Force is the air force of South Africa, with headquarters in Pretoria. It is the world's second oldest independent air force, and its motto is Per Aspera Ad Astra...
Specifications (P.166)
P.166S Albatross crash
At 10:30 on Sunday 14 August 2011 two ex-SAAFSouth African Air Force
The South African Air Force is the air force of South Africa, with headquarters in Pretoria. It is the world's second oldest independent air force, and its motto is Per Aspera Ad Astra...
Piaggio P-166S Albatross aircraft, ZU MMI and ZS NJX, took off from Tarentaal airfield23°49′31.22"S 30°19′31.92"E near Tzaneen
Tzaneen
Tzaneen is a small town situated in the Mopani district of the Limpopo province in South Africa. It is in a fertile region with tropical and subtropical agriculture taking place in a 20,000 km² region...
having participated in an air show at the town the previous day. The aircraft were due to land at Rand Airport
Rand Airport
Rand Airport is an airport in Germiston, South Africa. It was constructed in the 1920s as the main airport for Johannesburg, but the city outgrew it and replaced the airport firstly with Palmietfontein Airport in the late 1940s, then with the larger Jan Smuts International Airport in the...
in Germiston an hour and a half later. When it was determined at 13:30 that the aircraft were overdue in Germiston and that contact could not be established with any persons on board either aircraft, a full-scale search and rescue operation was launched. This operation involved SASAR, the Air Rescue Co-ordination Centre, the South African Police Service
South African Police Service
The South African Police Service is the national police force of the Republic of South Africa. Its 1116 police stations in South Africa are divided according to the provincial borders, and a Provincial Commissioner is appointed in each province...
, the Mountain Club
Mountain Club of South Africa
The Mountain Club of South Africa is the largest and oldest mountaineering club in South Africa. It facilitates and engages in mountaineering, climbing of all types, bouldering, hiking, international expeditions, mountain search and rescue, training, conservation of mountain areas, and procurement...
and a number of volunteers.
At least 12 search and rescue aircraft, ready to fly as part of efforts to find the two Albatross aircraft were grounded for 24 hours on Monday 15 August due to bad weather.
The wreckage of the two aircraft was found at 08:15 on Tuesday morning in the Mamotswiri Peak region by a SA Police Service helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
. All thirteen people aboard the two aircraft died in the crash.
Hannes Steyn, head of the Mopani Municipality Disaster Management Centre in Tzaneen, said: “They flew directly into the cliff.”
The South African Civil Aviation Authority announced that it had launched an investigation into the crash.