Teen girl lands plane on golf course

[ryoder 1,384]

Well, she walked away, but they won't be using the airplane any time soon.

http://www.pga.com/news/golf-buzz/17-year-old-emergency-lands-single-engine-plane-golf-course

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[theonlyski 3]

Any landing you can walk away from is a good one.

Hell, if the fan quit spinning, she did better than many others. She and her CFI done good.

"I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly
DPH -7, TDS 578, Muff 5153, SCR 14890
I'm an asshole, and I approve this message

[JohnMitchell 14]

Hmm, the prop looks straight. Not sure why the engine quit, but she did minimal damage to the aircraft. Looks like she could have used more flaps, but those might have been moved back up after landing.

I'm saying she did a solid job of not getting killed. Kudos!

[turtlespeed 212]

JohnMitchell

Hmm, the prop looks straight. Not sure why the engine quit, but she did minimal damage to the aircraft. Looks like she could have used more flaps, but those might have been moved back up after landing.

I'm saying she did a solid job of not getting killed. Kudos!

Looks like wing damage, fuselage damage, definitely an amount of gear damage.

Could have been worse.

I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama
BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun

[riggerrob 558]

That teenaged girl did better than Harrison Ford.

P.S. Harrison Ford has always had my respect.

[irishrigger 31]

Well they do say any landing you can walk away from is a good one!!

[JohnMitchell 14]

riggerrob

That teenaged girl did better than Harrison Ford.

P.S. Harrison Ford has always had my respect.

Agree to both of your statements.

[JohnMitchell 14]

turtlespeed

Looks like wing damage, fuselage damage, definitely an amount of gear damage.

Didn't see wing damage. The firewall will need some work after the nose wheel bent back. Fuselage damage?

Quote

Could have been worse.

Boy howdy. I think she did great.

[oldwomanc6 38]

JohnMitchell

I'm saying she did a solid job of not getting killed. Kudos!

Sometimes, what more can you ask? :yesnod:

Yikes!

lisa
WSCR 594
FB 1023
CBDB 9

[Phil1111 910]

JohnMitchell

Hmm, the prop looks straight. Not sure why the engine quit, but she did minimal damage to the aircraft. Looks like she could have used more flaps, but those might have been moved back up after landing.

I'm saying she did a solid job of not getting killed. Kudos!

Electric flaps on that model

"Peachtree City Fire Rescue in a statement said, “At approximately 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday evening our units responded to a report of a plane crash near the 11th tee at the Planterra Golf Course. Upon our arrival we found that a small single-engine plane had crashlanded on the fairway with one person on board. The scene was secured and left for investigators.”

Bergh said a posting on the police department’s Facebook page by mom Steph Lund recalled the crash and the response of others at the scene.

“Sierra was in the process of completing one of her solo (flights) which is a requirement for student pilots. After take-off she had to make an emergency landing,” Lund said. “As a parent of a student pilot you often wonder if your child will stay calm and recall what she has been trained to do. (I’m) happy to report that Sierra did just that.”

Lund expressed her gratitude to first responders and to those who made kind comments in support of her daughter’s efforts.

“Never underestimate this rising generation. So many of them are doing amazing things,” said Lund."
http://www.kathrynsreport.com/2016/07/cessna-150l-n1567q-incident-occurred.html

[JohnMitchell 14]

Phil1111

Electric flaps on that model

That's right. I'm used to the older jump planes with manual flaps. Still, even battery power should have brought them down if selected. Curious still to hear of the cause of engine failure. You can go from Hero to Zero if it turns out you had the fuel selector wrong or took off with dry tanks.

Still, I'd prefer to call this a "forced landing" instead of a crash. The plane's still shiny side up and pretty much in one piece. Nicely done, young lady.
And I'm serious when I say I like to fly with pilots that have had a forced landing. I know they have the concept down.

[ryoder 1,384]

JohnMitchell

And I'm serious when I say I like to fly with pilots that have had a forced landing. I know they have the concept down.

Forced landings were all I knew when I first started flying.

Then I added an SEL rating to go along with the "glider aero-tow" on my license.

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[theonlyski 3]

JohnMitchell

Looks like she could have used more flaps, but those might have been moved back up after landing.

Maybe she just followed the "After Landing" Checklist?

Also, depending on the nature of the failure, she might have opted to not actuate the flaps or been unable due to a complete electrical failure coincidental to the fan quitting.

"I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly
DPH -7, TDS 578, Muff 5153, SCR 14890
I'm an asshole, and I approve this message

[ryoder 1,384]

theonlyski

***Looks like she could have used more flaps, but those might have been moved back up after landing.

Maybe she just followed the "After Landing" Checklist?

Also, depending on the nature of the failure, she might have opted to not actuate the flaps or been unable due to a complete electrical failure coincidental to the fan quitting.

Or maybe she didn't have time. The airport and golf course are next to each other, so I expect she was arriving|departing, and damned low when the fan quit.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Peachtree+City,+GA/@33.364083,-84.5763263,16z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x88f4c191de6b569b:0x94fdac603d7f46aa!8m2!3d33.3968557!4d-84.5963432

Golf course looks nice and big...until you click on satellite view and see it is mostly trees, and the few open areas are oriented at a right angle to the runway.

ETA I finally found a course map. That course is much larger than Google Maps would make it appear. It extends North, surrounding a housing addition. The article says she landed in the tee box of the 11th hole, which is exactly here:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Peachtree+City,+GA/@33.3764433,-84.5853984,82m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x88f4c191de6b569b:0x94fdac603d7f46aa!8m2!3d33.3968557!4d-84.5963432

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[JohnMitchell 14]

Thank God for open spaces.
I've only been in one forced landing, as a passenger on a C182 that had the engine seize up at 500' AGL on departure. The pilot, a good friend of mine, did a small 90 degree right turn and set the plane down on a dirt road, smooth as could be.

A big "THANKS" to all the pilots who know how to push the nose down, keep up the airspeed, and set the plane down in total control. You guys and gals are all The $hit!

[turtlespeed 212]

JohnMitchell

***
Looks like wing damage, fuselage damage, definitely an amount of gear damage.

Didn't see wing damage. The firewall will need some work after the nose wheel bent back. Fuselage damage?

Quote

Could have been worse.

Boy howdy. I think she did great.

Did you see this pic?

I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama
BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun

[Phil1111 910]

turtlespeed

******
Looks like wing damage, fuselage damage, definitely an amount of gear damage.

Didn't see wing damage. The firewall will need some work after the nose wheel bent back. Fuselage damage?

Quote

Could have been worse.

Boy howdy. I think she did great.

Did you see this pic?

Well the plane is a write-off no question about that.
Considering that she is a student pilot,17 , still completing her license. I'd say she did a great job.

By the looks of the hole in the piston investigators may want to start with the maintenance logbooks. It looks as if a valve let go contacting the piston during operation.

http://www.cbs46.com/story/32379506/teen-walks-away-from-plane-crash-scratch-free?autostart=true

[ryoder 1,384]

AOPA full story: https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2016/july/06/fearless-student-pilot-lands-safely-after-engine-failure

He said an NTSB examination determined that a cracked intake valve lodged itself in the exhaust manifold and triggered a rapid set of events that led to the engine failure.
...
She said she landed fine but “was coming in really fast. When I came in, I hit a hill and it launched me back in the air and then a wingtip contacted a tree and that spun me around.” When the Cessna 150 contacted the ground “it hit on the nose” and collapsed the front gear.
...
When asked what she would change if she had to do it all over again, Lund said she would “probably put flaps in if I had time but I didn’t really have that much time.

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[Phil1111 910]

ryoder

AOPA full story: https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2016/july/06/fearless-student-pilot-lands-safely-after-engine-failure

He said an NTSB examination determined that a cracked intake valve lodged itself in the exhaust manifold and triggered a rapid set of events that led to the engine failure.
...
She said she landed fine but “was coming in really fast. When I came in, I hit a hill and it launched me back in the air and then a wingtip contacted a tree and that spun me around.” When the Cessna 150 contacted the ground “it hit on the nose” and collapsed the front gear.
...
When asked what she would change if she had to do it all over again, Lund said she would “probably put flaps in if I had time but I didn’t really have that much time.

Great story. Just don't be getting any ideas, ""There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes.." a C140 isn't all that fast.

[muff528 3]

Phil1111

***AOPA full story: https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2016/july/06/fearless-student-pilot-lands-safely-after-engine-failure

He said an NTSB examination determined that a cracked intake valve lodged itself in the exhaust manifold and triggered a rapid set of events that led to the engine failure.
...
She said she landed fine but “was coming in really fast. When I came in, I hit a hill and it launched me back in the air and then a wingtip contacted a tree and that spun me around.” When the Cessna 150 contacted the ground “it hit on the nose” and collapsed the front gear.
...
When asked what she would change if she had to do it all over again, Lund said she would “probably put flaps in if I had time but I didn’t really have that much time.

Great story. Just don't be getting any ideas, ""There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes.." a C140 isn't all that fast.

OK, I'm not a pilot, but (depending on her speed at that point) I wonder if flaps might have made things worse when she was "launched" back into the air by the hill. I'm imagining something like flaring a canopy too high and then dropping straight down. (maybe an invalid comparison?)

[JohnMitchell 14]

turtlespeed

Did you see this pic?

No, I hadn't, just the 3/4's rear view that hid all that damage. Yeah, they've either got a lot of work to do or another hull they can part out.


Another post indicated the engine may have sucked a valve, causing it to lose power. There have been a lot of good pilots walk away from totaled airplanes, friends of mine included. I'm always good with that.

[JohnMitchell 14]

muff528

OK, I'm not a pilot, but (depending on her speed at that point) I wonder if flaps might have made things worse when she was "launched" back into the air by the hill. I'm imagining something like flaring a canopy too high and then dropping straight down. (maybe an invalid comparison?)

I'm not a pilot, but I used to judge their actions professionally.

I think getting the flaps out would be more analogous to having a larger canopy, not flaring. Pulling back on the control yoke to pitch the plane up would be more like flaring. As any pilot will tell you, adding flaps does increase drag as well as slowing the landing speed, so some pitch changes usually have to be made when they are extended.

Real pilots, critique away.

[wolfriverjoe 1,340]

JohnMitchell

***OK, I'm not a pilot, but (depending on her speed at that point) I wonder if flaps might have made things worse when she was "launched" back into the air by the hill. I'm imagining something like flaring a canopy too high and then dropping straight down. (maybe an invalid comparison?)

I'm not a pilot, but I used to judge their actions professionally.

I think getting the flaps out would be more analogous to having a larger canopy, not flaring. Pulling back on the control yoke to pitch the plane up would be more like flaring. As any pilot will tell you, adding flaps does increase drag as well as slowing the landing speed, so some pitch changes usually have to be made when they are extended.

Real pilots, critique away.

Pretty close, John.

Flaps add both lift and drag. You go slower, and at the same time, stall speed is reduced.

Adding flaps at the "wrong time" (like in the middle of the bounce) would not have been a really good idea, as it does change how the plane flies a bit.

That's a problem with electric flaps. They take time, and often take attention - In the Cessnas I've flown, if you only want partial flaps, you have to put the switch down, watch the gauge, then put it back to "off" when you get the setting you want. Maybe 15 seconds to extend them.

The old school manual flaps have a big lever, similar to a hand operated emergency brake in a car. Yank up and it clicks to the settings. Takes a half a second, I could do it with my eyes closed (hey, some of those approaches were scary).

Just from what I see in the pics, the plane is fixable. A bit of sheetmetal on the wings, new wingtips, new nose gear (maybe straighten out the firewall), new prop (fixed pitch - it is maybe fixable). I've seen worse put back into shape and flown again (yes, I flew them).

"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy

"~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

[ryoder 1,384]

wolfriverjoe

That's a problem with electric flaps. They take time, and often take attention - In the Cessnas I've flown, if you only want partial flaps, you have to put the switch down, watch the gauge, then put it back to "off" when you get the setting you want. Maybe 15 seconds to extend them.

The old school manual flaps have a big lever, similar to a hand operated emergency brake in a car. Yank up and it clicks to the settings. Takes a half a second, I could do it with my eyes closed (hey, some of those approaches were scary).

+1

I got my private ticket in a Blanik L-13. Manual flaps *and* manual spoilers, with levers mounted on the right at shoulder level. Just glance at the lever as you grab it, (to be sure you got the right one), then apply exactly the amount you want, at the rate you want it.

After I finished the private ticket, I started working on adding SEL rating...in a C-150. Gawd, how I hated those stupid electric flaps! One day I showed up for a lesson and the 150 was in the shop, so we took a Piper (forgot the model). Big lever on the floor like an auto parking brake. Fantastic! What a proper flap mechanism should be!
And in a forced landing on departure, I can see why she would not want to fuss with the flaps. She was busy enough w/o needing to make pitch corrections for the slowly lowering flaps. And the stupid flaps would probably finish lowering *after* she was already on the ground.

ETA I just reread the article and noticed she lost power at 400'. The electric flaps were worthless at that altitude.

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[ryoder 1,384]

JohnMitchell

Another post indicated the engine may have sucked a valve, causing it to lose power. There have been a lot of good pilots walk away from totaled airplanes, friends of mine included. I'm always good with that.

See AOPA link in my previous post, then click on the image of the engine damage. Intake valve split in half, chewed up the top of the piston, and punched a hole in it.

Hey, do you think the golf course charged her green fees?

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.