A P-51D made an emergency belly landing the other day when it's landing gear failed to extend.
Makes you wanna cry. (Apology for the commerical.)
CBS 5 - KPHO
At least it looks like the pilot cut the engine before the prop hit the runway. That should have at least saved the crankshaft and the engine.
Damn good landing, though!
ReplyDeleteMakes a grown man cry. Hoping the damage can be repaired.
ReplyDeleteOh, they'll fix it. It's not really that bad considering. Just a bit of body work and the cooling system from the looks of it, and a new prop.
DeleteSad to watch but he walked away...
ReplyDeleteIt'll buff out. Pilot walked away and the plane will live to fight another day, as close to a win as you can get in that situation. Prop wont be cheap though.
ReplyDeleteI bet the was a lot of cussing over the sounds of it skidding down the runway
Ouch... and ugh....That probably went as well as could have been hoped for though.
ReplyDeleteJesse in DC
Jay - the prop is cheaper than a whole engine, but yeah. I'm guessing if he can afford 2.2 million for the plane, he's probably got about 250 G to repair that damage.
ReplyDeleteit is repairable...now if he had flipped it...? then that would have been bad. Sheetmetal can be refolded and bent. The airplane is repairable....unlike that poor B17 a couple of years ago.
ReplyDeleteOuch... NOT good! And that's going to be a wing and engine rebuild at a minimum...
ReplyDeleteRemember when they were filming Tora, Tora, Tora and the B-17 got a stuck gear and had to land with one gear down and one up? The Directors rushed camera crews to the air field and the subsequent footage was incorporated in the movie. I am sure this guy has the jing to restore his aircraft, he'll be up and running again.
ReplyDeleteLike the old saying goes, "if you have the data plate you can rebuild" all it takes is cubic dollars.
ReplyDeleteThe damage that was done here looks like it does not even require that much. Although "much" is relative.
That was painful to watch, but it could have been much worse. Great job by the pilot.
ReplyDeleteooooooooh, man, that hurt to watch! Awesome plane, though, to bring her pilot home in one piece!
ReplyDeleteWould a belly landing on the grass off to the side be out of the question? Softer surface....but concerns about rocks or holes/ditches?
I thought about that too. I finally decided the scoop would have dug in on the dirt, and could have caused it to be worse. I am not a pilot, nor did I stay in a Holiday Inn Express. So it is only my 2 cents.
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