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 ...
Wait - they're actually saying it was the pilot's fault?
Oh - never mind - he's a retired military pilot - it can be his fault.
Yep
Cool Pic. But that's an F-15.
I'm not a pilot, but it seems like there is a "ohnosecond" between the time the gear should have it the pavement and when the belly actually does in which a pilot realizes that he's going to have a bad day.
Who wants Jack Daniels?
Heck, I do!
If I was a pilot I'd be dead by now.
You got the handle and the links for a great hobby... rev War reenacting....
Let me know if you are interested...
Small world, I was a #2 plant nuke. Where are you now?
CFO=Mrs. P8riot
It's a good landing if you can walk away.
You will be suprised to know how much it really isn't :)
I have been able to do it now for 5 years and haven't spent more than $100... There are a lot of giving people in the hobby :)
http://www.7vr.org/
https://www.virginiastatenavy.com
You will see me in the VA Navy website...
make that http://www.virginiastatenavy.com instead... not a secure website :)
"(Ring-ring) Hello, Snort? What do you plan to do now that you'll never fly in another airshow as long as you live?? Isn't forgetting to put the landing gear down before you land like forgetting to take your wang out before you pee?? Other than the instant you heard the fuselage scraping the runway, have you ever peed in you pants before?? Besides joining the Navy and getting married, would you say this is about the stupidest thing you've done in your entire life?? Snort...Snort..ya still there?"
I'll check them out later when I have a chance.
Glad you made it unscathed. That sounds like a ton of fun though.
There are two kinds of pilots, those who have lanede with the gears up, and those who will land with the gear up...
Uh, yeah...
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I will read ahead before posting.
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