Plan B Forum

Of course that was when making an emergency landing in a forest, not a parking lot.

https://www.nbcnews.com/video/pilot-cra ... 4597827505

He was probably gliding at about 60 MPH, if he was doing it right. The video appears to be in slow motion. 60 to 0 in a matter of a few feet, some of it DOWN, had to be hard on the seat belt mounts, crush zone under his seat, as well as his lap and shoulder.

All in all, he did it perfectly, even if the plane can't be used again.

Pilot was quoted as saying, "That had to be one of the shortest landing strips I've ever seen!"
And they probably can use the plane again.  A good A&E mechanic should be able to buff that right out in no time.

-"BB"-

Bicycle Bill wrote: A good A&E mechanic should be able to buff that right out in no time.

Are you secretly a used airplane salesman on the side?
It will be a "total". No doubt. The door on the left side no longer fit into its opening in later pictures, and the right wing was probably even more heavily damaged, if not detached, tearing out the wing root. It would take more $$ to fix it than the plane is worth. The news said it was a C-172, but I don't see any wing struts or landing gear. Do you? I'm thinking Cardinal RG.

MGMcAnick wrote:

Bicycle Bill wrote:... The news said it was a C-172, but I don't see any wing struts or landing gear. Do you? I'm thinking Cardinal RG.

I'm not sure, and I obviously don't see as much aircraft as you do, but I'm fairly convinced it's a Cessna 172-P. If I find something to indicate otherwise, I'll post it.

RayThom you are right, but I'm not sure how you can tell a 172P from a 172D since the letter designations went up with each new model year from A through P (except there was no O). The last major (easily visible) fuselage change happened with the addition of the rear window on the D Model. The P had a three year run, I guess because they didn't bother to make any changes due to LOW sales. The P was the last one built for the final four years of Wichita production. The 172Q was the first of the Independence built planes.

Indy builds all of Cessna's single engine high wing planes now, including the (up to) 14 seat 208 Caravan, Six seat 206, four seat 182 and 172. They also make the entry level six seat Mustang jet.

My neighbor Marilyn owns a straight tail Cessna 172C. She's the one who received a 50 year no-accident pilot's award a few years ago. Those who frequented le Chat House may remember the article I linked. She's 90 now, and recently fell in her home.

The chief design engineer of the Caravan is also a neighbor, although not on the same airstrip. He has his own, a mile south. He's in his late 80s now. He said he just took the C172 drawings and blew them up. I hope he was kidding.

Additional research shows this: http://www.asias.faa.gov/pls/apex/f?p=1 ... -17,CESSNA

And this: http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry ... rtxt=54463

Textron (Cessna's owner) has taken over Beechcraft and Hawker (formerly owned by Beech). I'm sure that Walter Beech and Clyde Cessna, former partners who bitterly went their separate ways in the 1920s, are spinning in their graves.

Edited to add '50 year' to Marilyn's award.

MGMcAnick wrote:RayThom you are right, but I'm not sure how you can tell a 172P from a 172D since the letter designations went up with each new model year from A through P...

Extrapolation of data. The pilot was eighty years old. I assumed he has a higher disposable income than many other pilots if only due to his age. The plane he crashed wasn't a vintage x, A, or B model so I calculated it was probably an M, N, or P, and not newer than a Q or R.

According to the FAA's registration, as linked, the plane was a rental. I think the pilot even said so in his interview. Still must have some decent income to rent one. Even Cessna's employee flying club was getting $72 an hour last time I checked. A local FBO is getting $110. When I worked at Cessna, it was $32, not much more than the fuel. I could still be a club member since Mrs Mc is a retiree, but I won't bother.