Posted on 05/10/2006 7:28:38 AM PDT by IonImplantGuru
A former Navy Top Gun with decades of flying experience forgot to put his plane's landing gear down during an air show practice run in Tucson in March, the Federal Aviation Administration found.
Retired Capt. Dale "Snort" Snodgrass, a seasoned pro on the military air-show circuit, was piloting a Korean War-era F-86 Sabre that scraped to a stop and caught fire in the March 4 mishap at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. Snodgrass, 57, was given counseling as "corrective action," according to the FAA report, obtained by the Arizona Daily Star under the Freedom of Information Act.
The pilot was unhurt in the incident, which shut down air-show practice at D-M that day. The vintage warplane he was flying, owned by a California air museum, sustained minor damage when one of its wing fuel tanks ignited.
The F-86 was one of dozens of warplanes in Tucson to practice formation flying for the 2006 air-show season. The event was not open to the general public. Snodgrass remains on the Air Force schedule this season. The service still has "total confidence in his abilities," according to a statement from the Air Combat Command.
Snodgrass, a Florida resident, declined to comment on the FAA finding.
(Excerpt) Read more at azstarnet.com ...
Any landing YOU walk away from is an OK landing.
Any landing you can re-use the equipment is a good landing.
When I used to fly Army UH-1's into a Navy base and they ask for gear verification I always replied: "gear - bolted and welded".
Like they say, any landing you can walk away from...
Can you imagine what his RIO was thinking at this point?
I wonder if he had a long-term RIO, or a series of them.
Serious question, not a slam.
BTW, the June 2006 issue of Flight Journal has a nice article on the (retirement of) F-14s. http://www.flightjournal.com
same thing asthe B-1 @ Diego Garcia
Try sitting on a lid up toilet in the dark. Now THAT is a bad landing.
For prop pilots before you land remember to do a GUMP check.
Gas
Undercarriage
Mixture
Props
If I were Snodgrass my response would be:
"Well excuuuuuuuuuuuuusssssssssssssssse MEEEEEEEEEEEE!"
Well...maybe not but I would think it anyway...:)
Sadder than Snodgrass's hurt rep though is the hurt F-86. When an old warbird dies the world dies a little with it.
Yeah, but I knew him when he worked on the hill as USN liason to the House and he was as obnoxious as they come. When his air wing relieved ours in the Eastern Med in '89 they challenged us to a 1 v 1. Our guy was Gil "Sluggo" Butler and he came back with a HUD tape full of Snort's Tomcat.
Always, always read the checklist.
One day I could not get a visual on an approaching Cobra. Not being able to clear him for landing before I did, I requested his altitude. His reply will never be forgotten: "two...ah....feet..."
Wanted: One F-86 Sabre in flyable condition
Wanted: One pilot with an understanding of mechanical landing requirements
Sadder than Snodgrass's hurt rep though is the hurt F-86. When an old warbird dies the world dies a little with it. ""
Minimal damage, I understand from the article.
Whats the deductible on their collisin policy?
Bravo Zulu on your comment. All pilots, even the best (like Snort), make mistakes. As a kid I met most of the old school Top Guns (back when they flew the Phantoms). I also met a lot of the stunt pilots, Art Scholl among them. I had the good luck and honor to have met and gotten to know Bevo Howard about a month before he made his last mistake. These men have testicular fortitude that weasels who make disparaging comments only dream about.
How about much more likely pilot jargon like "AWW SHIT!"
Indeed... My old flying instructor had it happen to him.... twice. Both times with students. He said the last three feet, when you know the gear should have touched but didn't is a terrible sinking feeling... especially the second time. :~D
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.