He parachuted to safety - but his beloved plane "Challenger" was destroyed.
Posted on 04/04/2006 2:14:50 PM PDT by Dashing Dasher
COUSHATTA, La. The pilot of an aerobatics plane had to parachute to safety in Red River Parish this morning after the plane developed mechanical problems. Authorities say Sean Tucker had to ditch the plane after the aircraft's control stick broke.
Deputies say Tucker landed safely -- despite getting tangled briefly on part of the plane after getting out of the cockpit.
The single-engine stunt plane crashed in a field near the Red River-Natchitoches Parish line. Red River Parish Sheriff Johnny Ray Norman says Tucker was in town to visit friends while on his way to a weekend air show in Florida.
The plane's control stick broke shortly after takeoff from Red River Regional Airport, Norman said, but Tucker managed to get the plane away from any houses before bailing out.
Norman says Tucker initially got hung on a back part of the plane but managed to extricate himself and parachute to the ground.
The single-passenger, propeller plane crashed about a mile from the airport and was destroyed.
(KTBS-TV, Shreveport)
He parachuted to safety - but his beloved plane "Challenger" was destroyed.
Ping...
Wasn't there a similar Oracle sponsored plane that crashed, killing it's pilot about two years ago at the Ft. Lauderdale air & sea show? It was a Friday practice run, just a couple of hours before I arrived.
Holy Crap!
Thank God he got out.
Be careful out there, DD.
That was Ian Groom and he was sponsored by Fuji Film, among others.
Two weeks ago, we lost one of Sean's proteges, Nick Nilmeyer. I was Sean last Saturday at the funeral.
Too many funerals.
I second your post!
Sean is the one who had his propeller "depart the airplane" and landed it safely on an ag strip.
He is the best pilot I know.
Dittos
Sorry to hear about your loss.
I witnessed a happier (luckier) ending about 6 years ago. My son and I were having hamburgers at Sebastian Beach Inn, a little dive restaurant right on a sparse stretch of beach. We were practically the only ones out on the deck watching this stunt pilot practicing in his biplane a couple of miles off shore. Then he came straight back over us, and I couldn't hear anything at all as he passed.
I read in the paper the next day that he lost his prop and glided back to shore and landed safely on A1A.
Yikes!
Losing a propeller is a VERY rare thing.
Thank you both. I promise to be safe - but things happen - like this.
My parachute needs to be repacked. I'm gonna kiss my rigger when I see him. He also packs Sean's chutes.
Give him another kiss and tell him that Don appreciates the fine job he did on Sean's 'chute as well.
When I saw Sean Tucker's name in the headline, my heart sank. Glad to see he got out alive.
Sorry - I should edit it to say he got out okay!
This is not his first jump, if I remember correctly.
You all are certainly better pilots than I am.
My hats off to all of you!
Sean Tucker is the headliner for every Air Show that is worth seeing. I usually have no fingernails left after his performance.
What a frightenly improbable accident. Glad he got out ok. Will he be at Reno in September?
But, this was his schedule....
| Date | Event | Location | Jet Team | Chalet |
| April 8-9 | EAA Sun 'n Fun | Lakeland, FL | None | No |
| April 29-30 | NAS Atlanta Airshow | Atlanta, GA | Blue Angels | Yes |
| May 6-7 | Air & Sea Show | Ft. Lauderdale, FL | Blue Angels | Yes |
| May 13-14 | NAS Ft. Worth Airshow | Ft. Worth, TX | Blue Angels | Yes |
| May 20-21 | Andrews AFB Airshow | Washington, DC | Blue Angels | No |
| May 27-28 | New York Air Show | Long Island, NY | Blue Angels | Yes |
| June 10-11 | Hill AFB Airshow | Ogden, UT | Thunderbirds | No |
| June 17-18 | NAS Willow Grove | Philadelphia, PA | Thunderbirds | No |
| June 24-25 | Rhode Island National Guard Airshow | Providence, RI | Thunderbirds | Yes |
| July 8-9 | Wings Over Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh, PA | Blue Angels | Yes |
| July 15-16 | Milwaukee Air Expo | Milwaukee, WI | Thunderbirds | No |
| August 5-6 | Seafair | Seattle, WA | Blue Angels | Yes |
| August 19-20 | Air & Water Show | Chicago, IL | Blue Angels | Yes |
| August 23 | Atlantic City Airshow | Atlantic City, NJ | Thunderbirds | No |
| Sept 2-4 | Canadian International Airshow | Toronto, ONT | Snowbirds | No |
| Sept 16-17 | Kansas City Airshow | Kansas City, MO | Blue Angels | No |
| Sept 30/Oct 1 | California International Airshow | Salinas, CA | None | No |
| Oct 7-8 | Fleet Week Airshow | San Francisco, CA | Blue Angels | Yes |
| Oct 14-15 | MCAS Miramar Airshow | San Diego, CA | Blue Angels | Yes |
| Oct 21-22 | Wings Over Houston | Houston, TX | Thunderbirds | No |
I just heard from a friend that the control stick broke at the base - and he had no aileron or elevator control at all. But, he still flew around until he ran out of gas, steering with rudder only, before he jumped.
That's amazing!
FYI....
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