Any Landing You Can Walk Away From...

[FSTargetDrone]

Well, not quite a landing:

Page last updated at 11:15 GMT, Monday, 18 August 2008 12:15 UK

Plane hits power lines

Two people have been rescued from a light aircraft which hit power lines near Durach, in southern Germany.

It took emergency services two hours to get the trapped occupants out of the plane which was left dangling 30 metres (100 feet) above the ground.

Rescuers on the scene believe the plane's undercarriage clipped the 380,000 volt power line shortly after taking off from a nearby airport.

The pilot and passengers had to wait in the stranded plane while a cherry-picker was brought to the scene. It was decided that the downdraft from a helicopter would risk dislodging the aircraft.

Video at the above link.



Interestingly, the plane appears to have suffered little external damage.

[Hawkwings]

Well, it's not like it slammed into the ground. Maybe they'll have to replace the part that got snagged on the wires, but other than that, I wouldn't expect too much damage.

[FSTargetDrone]

Well, it's not like it slammed into the ground. Maybe they'll have to replace the part that got snagged on the wires, but other than that, I wouldn't expect too much damage.

Yep. I wouldn't be surprised if they are able to fly the aircraft again. Assuming it wasn't dropped while disentangling it from the wires.

[Kanastrous]

A unintentional mid-air arrested stop like that can't be good for the airframe.

I wouldn't be surprised if the plane has to be scrapped.

[dragon]

A unintentional mid-air arrested stop like that can't be good for the airframe.

I wouldn't be surprised if the plane has to be scrapped.

The problem is not the plane but how much replacing that tower will be, when you consider hitting a simple street light with your car can cost 5k Euro and up in fines.

[Hawkwings]

A unintentional mid-air arrested stop like that can't be good for the airframe.

I wouldn't be surprised if the plane has to be scrapped.

Probably a lot of stress on the landing gear area, where it caught the line. Don't really know how sturdy it is, but I'd imagine it would be a fairly strong area of the plane since it does handle the stresses of takeoff and landing. I don't think the whole plane would be written off as scrap though. Everything not in that area should have been brought to an even, if abrupt, stop.

[Phantasee]

I doubt the tower will need to be replaced. And the 5k Euro fine is probably a warning to not do it again, more than anything.

That plane is totally scrapped, the stresses on the airframe from hanging like that, after stopping on the wire...it's not a Navy carrier jet.

[Broomstick]

If it was a Cessna I'd guess that, assuming they didn't damage it getting it down, it would be usable again with only minor repairs and maybe not even that. Yes, Cessna 150s have hit powerlines and flown again. However, that is not a Cessna, being a low wing.

Powerlines aren't really solid objects in the normal sense, when impacted by an airplane there's a fair amount of give to them before they snap back. Not that collisions with them should be taken lightly, people certainly have died from such, but it's not the Instant Death you might think.

A lot depends on what sort of airframe it is. Some of the newer, more efficient airplanes are also less sturdily built that those from the 1950's and 1960's. Lack of visible damage isn't too surprising, the fuselage may be composite, in which case it would be non-conductive.

Damage to the airplane depends on what was hung up. If it is supported by a strong part of the structure there may be no damage from the hang at all. If a weak or "cosmetic" part of the airplane is hung up it will probably need to be replaced, but those parts usually are replaceable. As long as the main spar is undamaged the airplane is probably repairable. The landing gear might be alright, but the wheelpants may have been totally wrecked - but wheel pants are optional items.

[Singular Intellect]

What was the pilot doing that made him miss seeing big ass fucking power line towers?

[FSTargetDrone]

Here's an article with a better video:

Plane hangs upside down after catching on power lines

An afternoon flight in a light aircraft turned into a life or death ordeal for a retired couple when their plane got entangled in high-voltage power lines in Germany.

Last Updated: 8:55PM BST 18 Aug 2008

A 65-year-old man and his wife, aged 63, were suspended from the 380,000 volt cables for nearly three hours upside down with aviation fuel pouring over them and dangerously close to the hot engine.

Rescue officials were worried that increasingly high winds, in the countryside near Ulm, would hurl the plane 80 feet to the ground below.

The aircraft had been approaching the landing field at Durach when the pilot made an error and clipped the high-tension cables on his way in.

The right landing wheel got caught and flipped the plane over on to its back.

"The occupants remained in radio contact with the ground throughout but you can imagine that their psychological condition worsened as the clock ticked on," said a police spokesman.

"We considered a helicopter rescue but it was ruled out because the downdraft of the rotors would have sent the plane crashing to the ground.

"There was fuel leaking everywhere. It was a tense situation."

In the end, a specialist crane weighing over 130 tons was trucked in and elevated level to the aircraft so firemen could cut the couple free.

The couple, who live in the countryside near Munich, were treated at a local hospital for shock after their ordeal on Sunday before being released.

Fuel dripping, hot engine. Could have been much worse!

Note what appears to be a large airbag set up below the airplane in the video. After looking at a few other boards, I noticed that someone mentioned damage to the top of one of the power line towers. YOu can see that in the video above.

The plane's registration is "D-ELPR" and a search for that shows it is an "Europa Tri-gear."

[Chardok]

That is the raddest landing gear EVER to hold up that plane for that long.

[Isolder74]

Looks like a 4 wire.

[lPeregrine]

What was the pilot doing that made him miss seeing big ass fucking power line towers?

Landing. It can be hard to see power lines sometimes until you get fairly close to them, so they might have seen them, but not had time to pull up and miss them. Of course I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't see them at all, visibility over the nose of the high-wing Cessna 172 I fly isn't always that great. Add in a low wing cutting off even more visibility, mis-judge the descent rate a bit, and you hit the power lines.

So pilot error, but not a very surprising one.

[salm]

A unintentional mid-air arrested stop like that can't be good for the airframe.

I wouldn't be surprised if the plane has to be scrapped.

The problem is not the plane but how much replacing that tower will be, when you consider hitting a simple street light with your car can cost 5k Euro and up in fines.

If pilots are insured anything like motorists are then these costs are not that problematic.

[Broomstick]

What was the pilot doing that made him miss seeing big ass fucking power line towers?

"Big ass fucking power line towers" are surprisingly hard to see from the air. In the US, the ones near airports have large, bright orange plastic balls attached to them to increase visibility and they can still be hard to see. When you're in landing phase there's a lot going on and it's hard to keep track of everything - and keep in mind, you're going pretty fast on landing, at least highway speeds. In addition, it's a low wing and given the position of that wing whats below and to some extent in front of you is in your blind spot. This is just one reason why altitude control is important.

That is the raddest landing gear EVER to hold up that plane for that long.

Landing gear struts are usually steel, so they're pretty strong, and the information I found on the Europa indicates that it's a lightweight airplane. Total load on that strut was well under a ton (maximum gross weight for that plane is 1370 lbs/623 kg and it may not have been at full weight. With a fuel leak it was also getting progressively lighter). The Cessna 150 I mentioned weighs significantly more and it, too, has been known to hang from one main gear strut.

If pilots are insured anything like motorists are then these costs are not that problematic.

I do not know what the situation is in Germany, but in the US pilots are not required to be insured at all. They are also 100% responsible and liable for any damage they cause. In other words, if this occurred in the US there might be a fine for flying in an unsafe manner (you're supposed to make sure you don't hit powerlines) but the pilot would also be fully responsible for paying the repair costs to the tower, the cost of the cherrypicker crane to get him and his passenger down, etc., etc.

[CaptHawkeye]

Is that a Cirrus? Suddenly i'm not so surprised. That plane should[/i[ be known for performance and good IFR setup. Unfortunately, what it is known for is creating an immortality complex in pilots.

[CaptHawkeye]

Tags!

[FSTargetDrone]

"Big ass fucking power line towers" are surprisingly hard to see from the air. In the US, the ones near airports have large, bright orange plastic balls attached to them to increase visibility and they can still be hard to see.

There are several small airports near where I live and I've noticed these orange balls on the power lines near the airports. In fact, those plastic balls are attached to power lines that are above a few intersections somewhat distant from the airport. I can think of a few in particular at the moment. I see them whenever I'm at the stoplight and it's right near some businesses, etc. They are a bit higher off of the ground than the lines you typically see along a street, but not as high as the ones in the video above. All of this is in contrast to the lines in the video that seem to be away from any other structures.

My point is, these marker balls I've seen are attached to lines in areas that would be well away from any place a pilot would want to be, near ground traffic and buildings and such. I'm guessing that there are regulations in the US (where I am) that dictate that power lines over a certain height that are within a certain distance from an airport must be clearly marked. Since you mentioned it, it seems odd that these German power lines are not similarly marked, especially since it seems the pilot was near the airport at the time.

Is that a Cirrus? Suddenly i'm not so surprised. That plane should[/i[ be known for performance and good IFR setup. Unfortunately, what it is known for is creating an immortality complex in pilots.

It appears to be made by a company called Europa, which builds aircraft in kit form.

[The Kernel]

Is that a Cirrus? Suddenly i'm not so surprised. That plane should[/i[ be known for performance and good IFR setup. Unfortunately, what it is known for is creating an immortality complex in pilots.

Dude, look at the picture. That thing doesn't look ANYTHING like a Cirrus SR20/22. It's obviously a kit plane.

[Broomstick]

Is that a Cirrus? Suddenly i'm not so surprised. That plane should be known for performance and good IFR setup. Unfortunately, what it is known for is creating an immortality complex in pilots.

No, dear, that is an Europa, as stated, a kit airplane (although some production models were apparently made.

And I'd qualify your statement to "an immortality complex in some pilots" as there are many very reasonable and responsible Cirrus owners.

[CaptHawkeye]

And I'd qualify your statement to "an immortality complex in some pilots" as there are many very reasonable and responsible Cirrus owners.

I don't necessarily agree with the outlook on the aircraft myself. I'm just saying, that it seems to have a somewhat negative reputation. Course, their are plenty of aircraft in history that got bad reputation's because of a couple of blatantly pilot induced accidents.

Dude, look at the picture. That thing doesn't look ANYTHING like a Cirrus SR20/22. It's obviously a kit plane.

Not from the top it doesn't. From the angle it's at the in the shot though it does looks somewhat like an SR20.

[Broomstick]

And I'd qualify your statement to "an immortality complex in some pilots" as there are many very reasonable and responsible Cirrus owners.

I don't necessarily agree with the outlook on the aircraft myself. I'm just saying, that it seems to have a somewhat negative reputation. Course, their are plenty of aircraft in history that got bad reputation's because of a couple of blatantly pilot induced accidents.

"Doctor-killer" Bonanzas come to mind - nothing wrong with the airplane, there were problems with a segment of pilots flying them.

[andrewgpaul]

What was the pilot doing that made him miss seeing big ass fucking power line towers?

Landing.

The exact opposite, actually:

Rescuers on the scene believe the plane's undercarriage clipped the 380,000 volt power line shortly after taking off from a nearby airport.

[FSTargetDrone]

The exact opposite, actually:

Rescuers on the scene believe the plane's undercarriage clipped the 380,000 volt power line shortly after taking off from a nearby airport.

There were conflicting reports early on about whether it was landing or taking off. See my second news article above:

The aircraft had been approaching the landing field at Durach when the pilot made an error and clipped the high-tension cables on his way in.