Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Harrison Ford Critically Injured - Plane Crash

Come on VG own up to this:

Had a late night call some years back, that due to engine failure, the FIL was in a non-fatal plane crash and in the hospital. We ended up leaving for AZ an hour later.

Now the FIL was in his early 60's, a retired AF fighter jock, retired commercial pilot, and a retired aeronautical engineer. He lived on his property he built in the desert with his wife, his dog, his plane and his own private runway, and flew just about every day...he was quite the experienced pilot.

The plane was tip-top and checked out and worked on every day.

That day he did his pre-flight and took off but once he was airborne the engine died and he had to make an emergency landing...successfully, but not without consequences that kept him in the hospital for a few weeks with broken stuff.

A lesser capable pilot would likely have bought it right there.

When I said I was somewhat surprised about his having had engine failure in such a well-maintained plane, he told me that it was actually more of a software failure...during his pre-flight he forgot to turn the fuel cock on!

There was enough gas in the lines to warm-up, taxi, take-off and get airborne, but that was about it.

This just in,

Margin of resident pro on staff golf course Proctoctoloist report read "just before impact his ass bit a hole in his shorts."

Yep, or accidentally switch to a dry tank. Plus the PT22 is a dry sump engine with an oil pump switch too, forget that switch and the oil starved motor gives out after a few min.

After a guy has flown a plane so many times he doesn't use a checklist card because he can do it by memory. But when he's in his 70s....

I forget stuff and I'm way younger than he is.

I can't imagine I ever would. At 20 years and 2500 hours flying the EA-6B I still went down the checklist with a challenge and reply on every item.

Perhaps that's just the difference between civilian and military training or maybe I knew my memory just has always sucked.