BeechTalk - BT - The Piper that landed on I85 last week. Pictures

Username Protected · **Posted:** 28 Sep 2010, 14:47

This thing is parked next to my t hangar at PDK.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 28 Sep 2010, 15:39

From one of the news stories:

This wasn't the first time Conway had experienced trouble while flying, fiancée Lindsey Battle told the AJC. About two years ago, Conway had trouble with a plane's landing gear, she said.

“He cut the seat belts out of the plane and lassoed the landing gear and landed the plane safely," Battle said. “He’s totally Superman.”

Lassoed the landing gear????

Username Protected · **Posted:** 28 Sep 2010, 15:58

Mechanical gear extension. A Mooney will break your darn arm if the latch fails. I could easily see a situation where you'd "lasso the handle" if the latch failed.

[Link]http://www.donmaxwell.com/publications/MAPA_TEXT/Manual%20Gear%20Operation/LANDING_GEAR)OPERATION.HTM[/Link]

Username Protected · **Posted:** 28 Sep 2010, 19:15

Put a fork in it, its done ! I'm afraid, those wrinkles in the fuselage just aft of the cargo door won't iron out.

'Lassoing the landing gear' sounds like the 'alternate gear extension' method for some of the Cessna retracts.

Oh right, and its 'totally superman' :lol:

, I guess he does date a monkey.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 29 Sep 2010, 09:51

totally!

Username Protected · **Posted:** 29 Sep 2010, 10:09

I don't understand. With an engine failure why would he land on a six lanes wide interstate highway without extending the gear? Maybe he wanted a short slide vs a roll-out, braking stop? ?????

Username Protected · **Posted:** 29 Sep 2010, 10:35

Username Protected wrote:

I don't understand. With an engine failure why would he land on a six lanes wide interstate highway without extending the gear? Maybe he wanted a short slide vs a roll-out, braking stop? ?????

FWIW, the news says:

Quote:

The plane clipped trees on the way down, but was able to miss vehicles and people, landing just outside the HOV lane with its 40-foot wings stretched across two lanes.

The ends of the plane's propeller were twisted, and the tires had blown from a hard landing on the highway. But the beige and burgundy colored plane was mostly intact.

http://www.ajc.com/news/dekalb/report-o ... 17581.html