T-6 Emergency Landing Video

Aircraft Mech Paul · **Posted:** Tue Jul 24, 2007 5:14 pm

Very cool video and I am glad that the only damage was minor to the airplane and they occupants walked away clean from it,

Paul

bdk · **Joined:** Sun May 02, 2004 1:16 am **Posts:** 11330

Wouldn't air force training recommend an ejection lather than attempting a landing at all?

In the US (in the general aviation sector) we are taught to land wherever it is safest for all involved to do so. If a car was hit it would be at close to the same speed, right?

The pilot is also a very experienced T-6 pilot and probably had the skills to pull this off better than just about anyone.

a26invader wrote:

Is it normal in the US to use public roads, highways etc. for emergency landings? I'cant think of any similar episodes here in Europe but I've seen quite a few from the US.
During my Air Force pilot training in Denmark we were always told to use farmfields etc., never roads and definately not busy ones!

skybolt2003 · **Posted:** Tue Jul 24, 2007 6:55 pm

In recent years there seemed to be a spate of forced landings on busy highways, with a lot of innocent injuries sustained. In Aviation Safety Magazine they ran an article about responsibility and the idea of not putting others in harms way. The idea being that it was a selfish act to endanger other by landing in a roadway.
Of course, sometimes a roadway IS the safest place to set down, expecially in urban areas. In the crashes that they analyzed in this article however the pilots had other options.
In my initial flight training long ago, my instructor pulled power on me, and I lined up on a major highway under construction (I-15 in SoCal). It seemed like a great place to land to me. He put the power back in and after a verbal berating pointed out all the more suitable fields (all of which are long gone) and told me to never get lulled in by that ribbin of pavement.
In no way am I saying this T-6 landing on the roadway was wrong. I'm sure he did the right thing in the given circumstances.

daveymac82c · **Posted:** Tue Jul 24, 2007 8:16 pm

That was a well handled emergency landing. It must have been a little tricky considering the highway was curved a little. As for other suitable landing areas... I don't know that area at all and couldn't say. From the air there may have been some suitable ones, but from experience with "forced approach training" very often the field that you pick can end up being "too short" when you're on short final for it, when it looked more than long enough from a thousand or more feet. Not to mention, the condition of the surface is assured with a roadway/highway, while a grass field can potentially have major ruts, holes, rocks, etc that could ruin a perfectly good landing.

To be the judge I'd need some more info on the area.

On a side note, here in British Columbia it's very easy to find yourself faced with choosing between a highway and the side of a mountain.

Cheers,

David

bdk · **Joined:** Sun May 02, 2004 1:16 am **Posts:** 11330

And then there is the gear up vs. gear down argument.

B17news · **Posted:** Tue Jul 24, 2007 8:37 pm

I just can't believe that car kept trying to pass the aircraft when it was landing. Some people just aren't too bright.

:lol:

B

a26invader · **Posted:** Wed Jul 25, 2007 10:26 am

bdk wrote:

Wouldn't air force training recommend an ejection lather than attempting a landing at all?

He he, not in basic training :roll:

I never found the ejection handle in the Chipmunk nor T-17...

bdk wrote:

The pilot is also a very experienced T-6 pilot and probably had the skills to pull this off better than just about anyone.

I never said it was bad airmanship. I'm sure the fellow is a good pilot.

bdk · **Joined:** Sun May 02, 2004 1:16 am **Posts:** 11330

a26invader wrote:

bdk wrote:

Wouldn't air force training recommend an ejection lather than attempting a landing at all?

He he, not in basic training :roll:

I never found the ejection handle in the Chipmunk nor T-17....

But this aircraft had a gear switch with fixed landing gear (just for training purposes):

http://www.aerofiles.com/champ-lancer.jpg

a26invader wrote:

bdk wrote:

The pilot is also a very experienced T-6 pilot and probably had the skills to pull this off better than just about anyone.

I never said it was bad airmanship. I'm sure the fellow is a good pilot.

I understand that. I am only suggesting that this particular pilot is far above average when it comes to T-6 flying skills.

pilot06 · **Posted:** Wed Jul 25, 2007 11:40 am

Did anyone see the left wing tip? I didn't see it.

PC

bdk · **Joined:** Sun May 02, 2004 1:16 am **Posts:** 11330

He has fences on the ends of the wings for the pyro he uses in his airshow act so their are no tips like on a normal T-6. I think it was the right wing that was damaged anyhow.

ZuluEcho · **Joined:** Mon Aug 28, 2006 6:03 am **Posts:** 115

banndit wrote:

I just can't believe that car kept trying to pass the aircraft when it was landing. Some people just aren't too bright.

:lol:

B

yeah thats insane..

ok he might not have noticed it when it skimmed right above the him/her but why the heck would he get so close and then try to overtake it??? i bet that officer went n asked him what was he thinking????

excellent flying.. and glad to see everyone including the plane is OK!

ZuluEcho · **Joined:** Mon Aug 28, 2006 6:03 am **Posts:** 115

banndit wrote:

I just can't believe that car kept trying to pass the aircraft when it was landing. Some people just aren't too bright.

:lol:

B

yeah thats insane..

ok he might not have noticed it when it skimmed right above the him/her but why the heck would he get so close and then try to overtake it??? i bet that officer went n asked him what was he thinking????

excellent flying.. and glad to see everyone including the plane is OK!

Rob Mears · **Posted:** Thu Jul 26, 2007 7:48 am

Quote:

why the heck would he get so close and then try to overtake it??? i bet that officer went n asked him what was he thinking????

My guess is that the guy in the car was just overwhelmed with intrigue, or overwhelmed with the fear that he was about to be sitting in gridlocked traffic for a few hours. :lol:

Either way, it's an interesting study to see how different people react to an emergency, especially one as surreal as that one.

I was in the tornado that struck Nashville back around 1997. We ended up outside the Hard Rock where most folks were calmly working to put the situation back together, while others were whooping, hollering, and running around wildly like some kind of anarchy party night. Some folks are just waiting for any little circumstance to let them off the chain! Amazing :shock:

Rob Mears · **Posted:** Thu Jul 26, 2007 7:49 am

Rob Mears · **Posted:** Thu Jul 26, 2007 7:53 am

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