CAP Pilot makes emrgency landing off-field

[disamuel]

http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/courier/news/pilot-makes-emergency-landing-near-downtown-conroe/article_f0bd29ec-368b-11e1-884c-0019bb2963f4.html?mode=story&photo=2

[JeffDG]

Um...excuse me:

Rovner brought the plane down near the intersection of Davis and Sixth Street, clipping a power line. There were no injuries related to the emergency landing and minor damage to the aircraft, although emergency response teams were called to address fuel leaking from the aircraft.

This is "minor damage to the aircraft":


But, as they say, any landing that you walk away from is a good one!  A great landing is one where the plane will still fly, so this one counts as good, but not great!

[Duke Dillio]

hmmmm.....

Thought you had to wear a uniform when piloting a corporate aircraft.......

Things that make you go, hmmmm......

[NIN]

I just Google mapped that location. That's a hell of an emergency landing.

Having been in circumstances where it was "I'm landing in the next 60 seconds, and not in a good place," there is no greater way to focus than being pretty sure you're gonna die or be seriously injured in less than a minute. But it sure ain't fun...

(In my case, the phrase "there is no choice but victory" came to mind, and it worked. I thing that was *after* the unprintable parts)

[JeffDG]

hmmmm.....

Thought you had to wear a uniform when piloting a corporate aircraft.......

Things that make you go, hmmmm......

Looked like she was wearing a blue polo under her jacket, and that is an acceptable uniform.

[NIN]

hmmmm.....

Thought you had to wear a uniform when piloting a corporate aircraft.......

Things that make you go, hmmmm......

Looked like she was wearing a blue polo under her jacket, and that is an acceptable uniform.

Really? A uniform thread from a plane crash thread in, what, 4 posts?

[Duke Dillio]

There goes that law again.....

[JeffDG]

hmmmm.....

Thought you had to wear a uniform when piloting a corporate aircraft.......

Things that make you go, hmmmm......

Looked like she was wearing a blue polo under her jacket, and that is an acceptable uniform.

Really? A uniform thread from a plane crash thread in, what, 4 posts?

Actually...it was the third post that brought unis into the mix.

[CAP_Marine]

I was with her at our squadron meeting prior to her departure from KIWS and can confirm she was in a corporate uniform. Can we move off of that part of the topic now? It does get chilly enough to require a jacket every once in a while even down here in SE Texas.

[Nolan Teel]

I will miss that 172! 

[JeffDG]

I will miss that 172!

But it was only "minor damage" 

[a2capt]

That'll Buff Out... surely. ;-)

There it is, sitting on three wheels, nothing looks bent from the one view of the low camera angle. You can see the wires wrapped around the prop.. and usually that kind of wire contact leads to a lot of other outcomes besides a wreath. The training worked, and was obviously well heeded.

All things considered, in the middle of "the populated area" as the yellow on the chart depicts, an excellent job at handling the situation.

I had an engine quit at 11,000 ft. over SW Colorado, just after passing Spanish Peak and put it down on a ranch road between a cattle guard, a fence and power line. Had someone come out from Walsenburg and fix the thing the next day and departed after unloading everything into a pickup truck so I could fly to a real runway to depart fully loaded with the second passenger. It was not until then that I had an uncontrollable leg shaking bit when I departed said area and was back at 'pattern' attitude downwind from my 'runway' when that started because I saw what I had actually done.

[lordmonar]

Well....from the photo...one wing is a write off, wonder how much damage was transfered to the frame. The engine will have to go in for a complete teardown and check because of the "loss of power" and the dammage from the power lines.

Also....if there was any voltage passing through the airfream when the power lines cut...that always causes some eletrical problems so that will have to checked out really well.

Anyone know if this was a mixed panel retrofit?

[JeffDG]

Well....from the photo...one wing is a write off, wonder how much damage was transfered to the frame. The engine will have to go in for a complete teardown and check because of the "loss of power" and the dammage from the power lines.

Also....if there was any voltage passing through the airfream when the power lines cut...that always causes some eletrical problems so that will have to checked out really well.

Anyone know if this was a mixed panel retrofit?

The engine teardown will depend if the prop was still turning or not.  If the prop had stopped windmilling, then may not need a teardown inspection.

[Eclipse]

How much money is anyone going to invest in a non-special 33 year old airplane?

[lordmonar]

Well....from the photo...one wing is a write off, wonder how much damage was transfered to the frame. The engine will have to go in for a complete teardown and check because of the "loss of power" and the dammage from the power lines.

Also....if there was any voltage passing through the airfream when the power lines cut...that always causes some eletrical problems so that will have to checked out really well.

Anyone know if this was a mixed panel retrofit?

The engine teardown will depend if the prop was still turning or not.  If the prop had stopped windmilling, then may not need a teardown inspection.

The cable looks like it is wrapped around the cowling...but you are right...if there was no sudden stoppage then the shaft would not have to be inspected.

[Extremepredjudice]

Not that I am an expert, but wouldn't replacing the plane be better than rebuilding it?

The plane is getting old, and looking at the damage it is going to be a pretty penny to fix it.

Spending 5-10k more for a safer, brand new plane seems like a good idea.

[Eclipse]

Spending 5-10k more for a safer, brand new plane seems like a good idea.

Well, it's won't be "5-10k more"  a new 172, which we really don't buy anymore, goes about $300k before CAP radios and
other required modifications.

New 182's are $350K+

Looks like a used wing goes for about $5-6k

[NIN]

Assuming the fuselage is not wracked (ie. in need of major re-tweaking in a manufacturer jig), then its actually not difficult to get a wing and install it.

Yes, it looks awful (certainly more than "minor") but in the aviation scheme of things, unless the airframe resembles a crushed beer can, its probably not "major damage."

When you do things like start destroying formers, firewalls, etc, then you're into the MAJOR money for a fuselage rebuild.  (Former cadet from my old unit WIWAC went to "solo encampment" and bent the firewall of a plane during his "solo".. Major repair. Major)

But even if the wing attach points are damaged (not clear from the photo), hanging a new wing on a plane is not nearly as difficult as you'd think.  If the attach points are true to their original locations, then locating the wing and getting it delivered might actually be more difficult than installing it.

[lordmonar]

What's the going hourly rate for an A&P theses days?

How many hours for an engine rebuild and hanging a new wing?

But yes......assuming no major airframe damage and no major electronics damage....replacing the wing and engine would be cheaper then a new plane.