The pilot of a Cessna light aircraft in Puyallup, Washington, is doubtless rather thankful for public toilets this evening.
A small plane crashed into a storage yard full of portable potties Friday afternoon near Thun Field just minutes after taking off from the field.
Pilot Clifford Howell of Lake Bay told investigators at about 150 feet in the air, his engine quit. He banked and tried to make it back to the runway, but came up short.
"He just took a nosedive," said witness Brian Berscheid.
"I spoke to him briefly, and he said just lost power, and he was trying to get it down safely," said Pierce County Sgt. Mike Blair.
But the ground came rushing up while the plane was still short of the runway. And by chance, the Cessna went straight into a lot of Honey Buckets on the north end of the airport.
Witnesses say the plane bounced off the rows of portable toilets in a storage yard at the north end of the field, flipped, then landed upside down on a pile of wood chips.
"I could tell he was in a little bit of trouble, but I thought he could make it over the toilets back there," said Berscheid.
"Lands on top of a group of sandy cans, and then bounces off those into a pile of wood chips where it comes to rest," said Blair.
Investigators say the toilets and the wood chips cushioned a potentially dangerous landing.
"If he had made the runway, he would have landed a lot harder than he did by impacting with those Sani-Cans and the wood pile," Blair said. "It probably saved his life, I would think."
Help arrived within seconds, and Howell, who was the only person on board, was able to get clear of the wreck. He was on his own feet, but not without injuries.
"He had an impact injury to his forehead, and for precautionary reasons we sent him to Good Samaritan Hospital to get checked out," said Blair.
Howell has been treated and released.
It appears the experienced 67-year-old pilot has given new meaning to the term "bathroom break."
"That is an odd thing," Berscheid said.
It is not known why the plane's engine cut out. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating.
This video clip of the crashed aircraft was posted on YouTube.
I'm glad there was no-one in the toilets when the plane landed on them - although I bet that'd be the best cure yet discovered for constipation!
Peter
I am not so sure that a collision with any kind of object and coming to rest inverted is better than a controlled landing on a runway.
ReplyDeleteWhy would we let an observer's comment that he was going to have a "hard landing" on the runway lead us to believe otherwise?
I personally know that any controlled landing on my wheels is preferable to ending up inverted with an "impact injury" to my forehead.
Well, we all know that once the engine "stalls" on a light aircraft, it immediately turns into a flaming brick and plummets straight down into the earth at warp factor 11, killing everyone within 100 miles.....
ReplyDeleteSomeday a news puke will make an correct statement about GA, but not anytime soon.
PeterT
Looked like there was a nice clear area right next to the sanicans...?
ReplyDeleteSometimes the best landing is a crappy landing.
ReplyDeleteAntibubba
Tried to turn back to the runway at only 150 AGL? That's got to be more goofed-up reporting. At 150 AGL, you're landing straight ahead. Even the most optimistic pilot wouldn't think of turning back to the runway at that altitude.
ReplyDeleteMost optimistic pilot wouldn't, no, but people in a panic don't always think clearly.
ReplyDeleteLooks like he almost made it - there's a taxiway marker beyond that fence just beyond the tail - looks like he was just a little low and short, hung his wheels on the porta-potties, and flipped.
Someday I should pass on a story about two guys in world war two and their decision to turn back after takeoff, at around 150 feet... Their commander was Not Impressed with their decision making. Fortunately, they lived through it, too.
God is, if not as merciful as we could hope, certainly more merciful than often we deserve.