Harrison Ford injured in a plane crash

[Phil Perry]

I think it is a Ryan. Haven't checked but it looks like one. It should have a full harness since it is aerobatic but it's certainly not inertial. If ever you have to forced land make sure the harness is very tight. Nev

One of the news reports we got in UK said that it was very lucky that Mr. Ford was sitting in the BACK SEAT of the aircraft as it landed, otherwise, had he chosen to fly it from the front one his injuries could have been much much worse,. . . . priceless. . .out of the mouths of babes comes to mind. . . .

 

Phil

 

 

[Teckair]

Laurie,Looks like he flew it as far in to the crash as he could, very good piloting & very good skills, kept it in control all the way to a stop.

Really?

 

 

[Phil Perry]

If it was me, I'd have tried to get back to the runway I'd just left, as that was the safest option given the urban nature of the surrounding area. . . . not enough height evidently. . . . and I've NEVER met a "Crash surviving pilot" who EVER thought of what he might crash into on the ground,. . . . let's face it,. . .you want to get the aeroplane landed somewhere that won't hurt YOU. . . . . sounds great on the news channels but it's just the usual BS.

 

 

[Phil Perry]

Really?

No,. . . he CRASHED it into a fairly clear area. He didn't fly it to a stop,. . .that was just physics, and the ground v aluminium ( oops sorry ALOO MIN UM )

 

 

[Teckair]

I wasn't there so it is hard to really know, there may have been people on the golf course he avoided or some thing like that. It appeared to me that he was trying to get back to the airport and stalled and crashed heavily way short of the mark. Probably lucky to be alive thanks to doctors on the scene, a broken pelvis and what ever other injures he has is hardly a good out come when maybe a safe landing could have been done on the fairway.

 

 

[recflyer]

For those who haven't seen it this is the video from the "Wings over the Rockies" museum by Harrison Ford. He is a passionate aviator as you will gather from the video & has a collection of immaculate aircraft including the Beaver featured. Superbly filmed, edited & narrated.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_j8VhEWLFdE

Thanks for posting this. What a great video!

 

 

[alf jessup]

Really?

Well he didn't stall & spin in did he?, hit a tree on the way past to the fairway, pretty good job of it I think.

 

 

[Teckair]

Well he didn't stall & spin in did he?, hit a tree on the way past to the fairway, pretty good job of it I think.

It is hard for us to know just going on TV footage but I thought it was an example of what not to do.

 

 

[alf jessup]

Teckair,

 

Looking at the amateur video footage of him on his final descent before he went out of view it looked like it was gliding pretty fast, not sure if the Ryan had landing flaps which wouldn't help the cause, pretty heavy old plane by the looks of it, all I will say is he is alive with a few broken bones, a good landing I'd say but not a great one as the plane can't be used again until it's repaired.

 

Easy for us all to be critical of the event outcome but he is alive and that is all that matters.

 

Alf

 

 

[dutchroll]

It should be mandatory to have a golf course with a par 5 fairway at the end of every airstrip.

 

 

[PA.]

Flying Solo?

 

 

 

[Teckair]

Alf

 

I hope you don't have an engine failure any time soon.

 

Richard.

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

Famous words from Bob Hoover "fly it all the way into the crash".

 

Don't get fixated on trying to get back to the runway. You gonna die with that thinking. You should know where your out bound cutoff point is for that, after that mark the secondary go to points that you chose when you first started flying from that strip come into play, ie golf courses, playing fields, roads, car parks etc.

 

That fairway he ended up on wasn't all that flat either some pretty steep undulations didn't help.

 

Market gardens are better for the end of runways. No trees.

 

 

[PA.]

Market gardens are better for the end of runways. No trees.

You might end up a vegetable.

 

 

[poteroo]

Teckair,Looking at the amateur video footage of him on his final descent before he went out of view it looked like it was gliding pretty fast, not sure if the Ryan had landing flaps which wouldn't help the cause, pretty heavy old plane by the looks of it, all I will say is he is alive with a few broken bones, a good landing I'd say but not a great one as the plane can't be used again until it's repaired.

Easy for us all to be critical of the event outcome but he is alive and that is all that matters.

 

Alf

The PT-22 version had flaps, but they reportedly were only capable of reducing stall speed by 1-2 kts, but increased R-O-D considerably. The aircraft required a quite high glide speed in clean configuration - have read 75-80 KIAS quoted. Stall speeds are quoted as 55-60 KIAS - depending on model and weight. The aircraft spin readily, especially with rearward CG, (as can be the case if flying solo from the rear cockpit), and training accidents were reportedly common and fatal. All in all, I'd say that HF was a pretty competent driver to be flying one of them, and that trying to land one slowly enough off an engine out, relatively fast glide, was a really good piece of flying. happy days,

 

 

[jeffd]

maybe chewbacca was in the front and hf couldnt properly c

 

 

[Keenaviator]

The PT-22 version had flaps, but they reportedly were only capable of reducing stall speed by 1-2 kts, but increased R-O-D considerably. The aircraft required a quite high glide speed in clean configuration - have read 75-80 KIAS quoted. Stall speeds are quoted as 55-60 KIAS - depending on model and weight. The aircraft spin readily, especially with rearward CG, (as can be the case if flying solo from the rear cockpit), and training accidents were reportedly common and fatal. All in all, I'd say that HF was a pretty competent driver to be flying one of them, and that trying to land one slowly enough off an engine out, relatively fast glide, was a really good piece of flying. happy days,

Like I said, it looks like he knows what he was doing.

 

 

[Marty_d]

Wonder if they'll make him fill in all the divots his plane made? They're pretty touchy about that sort of thing. (I played golf once, in my smoking days - I thought it was very considerate of them to provide a little bucket of sand on the golf buggy and butted out 4 cigarettes in it before someone gently corrected my misapprehension.)

 

 

[jeffd]

i thought the holes with the flags were for cigarette butts and empty stubbies

 

 

[Marty_d]

i thought the holes with the flags were for cigarette butts and empty stubbies

I wouldn't have the balls to do that.

 

 

[jeffd]

if ya collect enough empty stubbies u will

 

 

[alf jessup]

The PT-22 version had flaps, but they reportedly were only capable of reducing stall speed by 1-2 kts, but increased R-O-D considerably. The aircraft required a quite high glide speed in clean configuration - have read 75-80 KIAS quoted. Stall speeds are quoted as 55-60 KIAS - depending on model and weight. The aircraft spin readily, especially with rearward CG, (as can be the case if flying solo from the rear cockpit), and training accidents were reportedly common and fatal. All in all, I'd say that HF was a pretty competent driver to be flying one of them, and that trying to land one slowly enough off an engine out, relatively fast glide, was a really good piece of flying. happy days,

Poteroo,

 

Yeah I wasn't sure if they were fitted with flaps or not & going by what you have just said they really don't assist the aircraft much in any way, I think he did a pretty good job overall as he is still breathing & that's a bonus

 

 

[alf jessup]

AlfI hope you don't have an engine failure any time soon.

 

Richard.

Richard,

 

Actually I practice simulated ones fairly regular, also stalls and lots of other things I used to do in my training & for what it is worth mate I don't just plod along fat dumb & happy when I fly, I actually fly quite disciplined.

 

I don't quite know what to make of your comment above?

 

I think my flying skills are above average, one thing I do have is I don't tend to panic much in life, I look at when there is a problem that arises in my life not to ponder on it but to deal with it.

 

And yes I hope myself I don't have an engine failure soon either but the overall outcome of it all if I do will be from my own decision making won't it as will it be yours, then you can give it your all on the outcome whether good or bad.

 

Alf

 

 

[Phil Perry]

It should be mandatory to have a golf course with a par 5 fairway at the end of every airstrip.

Not a bad idea DR, . . .but each user of the strip might need additional insurance against having his head bashed in with a five iron or putter after he EFATOd and churned up a green. . .?

 

 

[dazza 38]

i thought the holes with the flags were for cigarette butts and empty stubbies

What you do is scull your first stubbie and then you shove your cigarette buts into that empty stubby.