Media Frenzy

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MoonlightVFR
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Media Frenzy

Post by MoonlightVFR »

Yes a media frenzy

It was simply an "Off Airport Landing"

Media frenzy will repeatedly state "Harrison Ford crashed airplane" I say it was an off airport landing.

Accomplished taildragger pilot with modicum of altitude plus sufficient airspeed to control surfaces. He simply radioed "Engine failure, immediate return".

Short of runway environment he interrupted a foursome on PENWAY golf course. Stuck it on the ground did not bounce in air, did not cartwheel, just folded up fixed gear, displacing firewall. On the ground and as NASA would say it; Wheels Stopped.
Indiana Jones lives! Hurrah.

Thursday was golf day foursome physicians in the area. Reportedl,y a spine surgeon helped pull Indiana Jones from the aircraft.

Media Frenzy will park on this story. All are happy that he is just banged up but do you need to park a TV crew/truck outside the hospital at 10:00 at night.

Ryan Aeronautical ST3KR .

Correct me didn't Indy fly a taildragger with a python wrapped around his feet?

His son is with Dad at hospital . His son was with him at the hospital. banged up but will recover.
gradyb, '54 B N2890C
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blueldr
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Re: Media Frenzy

Post by blueldr »

I think that PT-22 and Mr. Ford were about the same age. The last of the PT-22s were built in '42 or early '43. I flew them in primary in '43, but we sure as hell didn 't have any new ones even then. My class were the last to fly them in Blythe, CA, and even then, half of the class flew Stearmans.
BL
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cessna170bdriver
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Re: Media Frenzy

Post by cessna170bdriver »

MoonlightVFR wrote:...
Correct me didn't Indy fly a taildragger with a python wrapped around his feet? ...
He did, but he unequivocally stated that he didn't like it... 8O

I agree that the media is doing what the media does just because it's Harrison Ford, but if I were to walk up on that airplane in that place, in that condition, I'd call it a crash too.

Our biggest problem with the media is going to be keeping Santa Monica Airport open.
Miles

“I envy no man that knows more than myself, but pity them that know less.”
— Thomas Browne
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lowNslow
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Re: Media Frenzy

Post by lowNslow »

cessna170bdriver wrote: Our biggest problem with the media is going to be keeping Santa Monica Airport open.
Bingo. Although it's looking like the closure is almost a done deal.
Karl
'53 170B N3158B SN:25400
ASW-20BL
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flyguy
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Re: Media Frenzy

Post by flyguy »

FORDS PT22A.jpg
It "was" a safe "off airport" landing but it was, looking at the damage, also a crash landing. Those old Kinner radial engines are long in the tooth and parts are getting harder to come by and it makes me sad to see an old PT crumpled up like that.

With an engine failure and over some pretty heavily populated area choices are limited. I know from experience that the trees get taller as you approach dead stick! 8O He is fortunate that the bird didn't endo and trap him underneath. I'd say he did an excellent job and probably could have "walked away"! :)
OLE GAR SEZ - 4 Boats, 4 Planes, 4 houses. I've got to quit collecting!
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flyguy
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Re: Media Frenzy

Post by flyguy »

KSMO tower traffic at the time of the emergency. The numbers @ are the times of the mayday and subsequent com traffic on the tape. The aircraft is designated as Ryan 178 first heard at the 19:50 mark cleared for take off.

http://archive-server.liveatc.net/ksmo/ ... -2200Z.mp3

Take off @ 19:50
Emergency @ 21:24
Unit 1 & 3 Airport Emergency Units alerted @ 22:00
Tower transmits possible location short of rwy @ 22:38
Cessna "go around" @ 24:40
Runway closed till emergency vehicles exit @ 24:55
Explanation of rwy closure @ 25:18
Change of twr crew @ 26:45
Further explanation of emergency and runway closure @ 26:45
OLE GAR SEZ - 4 Boats, 4 Planes, 4 houses. I've got to quit collecting!
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flyguy
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Re: Media Frenzy

Post by flyguy »

Aryana wrote: but none of my plans included turning back towards the airport.


He had been airborne for about two minutes so it wasn't a panic 180. And lucky that golf course had room to put it down safely.

My first engine failure was night time and occurred as I was climbing through 300' and still within the first 1/3 of the runway.The horrors that lay just beyond the south end of that airport were Railroad tracks, trees on the hillside and six 200' tall grain elevators just past the tracks. I had no idea what had happened under the cowl to insure I could make a circuit or go out and do a 180 and land, so I pulled full flaps and slipped ( :roll: ) her onto the last 100' of the runway and into the grass overrun. Did a gentle ground loop just before the fence that didn't do any damage. Although backfiring and shaking like heck, the engine was still running and I could see I still had oil pressure so I taxied back to the ramp. I still have that piston with the valve head embedded in it's top, sitting on my desk. Every so often I pick it up, give it a rub, thank my lucky stars then give Old Murphy the finger. :mrgreen: I didn't say which finger!
OLE GAR SEZ - 4 Boats, 4 Planes, 4 houses. I've got to quit collecting!
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GAHorn
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Re: Media Frenzy

Post by GAHorn »

You could always decide only to depart very looong runways! :wink:

I had my most recent engine failure (out of the five I've had) at night about 1 AM during takeoff from downtown Austin at the old Mueller in my C-206. Nothing but houses, downtown bldg.'s and freeway overpasses nearby.
I'd been offered an intersection takeoff by the tower but refused it and back-taxied several thousand feet for the takeoff, got 300' airborne when a loud "bang"...lot's of shaking-goin'-on... and a heavy smell of gasoline! With about 800' of runway still in front of me I yanked the throttle off and landed straight ahead with a few hundred feet left over, and pushed it back to the ramp.
(It was a head blown off No. 4 cylinder which ripped the end off the fuel line off the injector and was spraying fuel all over the top of the cylinders.)

Three days later and a new cylinder I took it on home.

Never make intersection takeoffs unless you have another "out" planned.
'53 B-model N146YS SN:25713
50th Anniversary of Flight Model. Winner-Best Original 170B, 100th Anniversary of Flight Convention.
An originality nut (mostly) for the right reasons. ;)
bagarre
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Re: Media Frenzy

Post by bagarre »

3 things that are useless. The air above you, the runway behind you and the gas at the pump.
jeff170a
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Re: Media Frenzy

Post by jeff170a »

Hello folks after not posting in a long while...

I admit I accepted an intersection takeoff at Amarillo, TX on 1/1/2012. From intersection Charlie at RW 22 it is something like 11,000 feet remaining? Normally I would never accept an intersection t/o but how could I say no?

P.S. For the Texans in the crowd, we had a nice New-Years-Eve dinner at the Big Texan the night before. And NO, I did not indulge in the 72oz "Free" steak. :)
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blueldr
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Re: Media Frenzy

Post by blueldr »

I wonder if his airplane was one of the ones I flew in primary training at Morton Air Academy in Blythe, CA, back in 1943? I just wish I had kept a log book in those days.,
BL
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