Any Landing You Can Walk Away From ;-)

[T_O_A_D]

Saw this on my local station, but found it on the web here.

http://www.kplctv.com/story/20010055/caught-on-camera-plane-hits-suv-on-final-approach

Amazing no one was hurt.

[Streak]

Just saw that before coming here. Just amazing nobody was hurt.

[BadAim]

Shit. Makes one glad for the refly button.

[DD_Bongodriver]

There was a serious case of a 'common sense failure' on someones behalf in this incident, with the least blame falling on the student pilot, the SUV driver might have done well to pay a bit more attention, I dont think it was a case of an airport suddenly appearing overnight that they weren't aware of, possibly a lack of signeage and control measures on behalf of the airfield?

[T_O_A_D]

I think anyone tha would build a cross traffic road so close to a runway screwed up big time.

Vice Versa anyone building an airstrip so close to a crossing road screwed up big time.

It looks like they need to make a change there.

The Pilot was just trying to use all of the runway as he should, So to solve it the runway needs to be shortened to allow more ground clearance over the road.

[stryker7]

I live here, not 10 miles from that airport. I have family that lives even closer to there, and might at some time use that road. So this is very personal for me. BTW, The airport was built way after the road was there. The news report is misleading as that road goes to other places too, not just the east side of the airfield.

For one thing, and I don't know if anyone noticed, but if you look at the video, you will see the windsock indicating, that the pilot was landing with a tail wind. Can everyone say stupid and incompetent ? Did he actually fly the pattern to see what possible hazards might have been in his flight path ? Apparently not. Had he paid attention to the wind direction ( has he actually taken flight school ) he would have been making his approach from the other end of the field and avoided the roadway completely. Also if he had flown the pattern, he would have seen a roadway, and thought to come in a little higher over the roadway. And that friggin fence. I am assuming that he would have, let me restate, if he were a decent pilot, he would have.

But the main culprit, is the airport owner.

For one thing, going out and spray painting a line with the word "STOP" does not count as a stop sign. There are signs painted on the roads here in Texas, but it is reflective paint and painted in elongated letters so that they can be read while moving at the posted speed limit. And never a stop sign on a public roadway.

Hell, I don't like people speeding past my house at the outrageous speed of 20 miles and hour while my grandkids play outside, "I" will go out and put up a cardboard sign declaring the speed limit to be 5 MPH. (end of sarcasm)

The warning sign, a roadside sign with the plastic letters, that churches and restaurants use to announce services and sales on cheeseburgers, also does not qualify as an acceptable form of a warning sign for a roadway. Not reflective, and the extension cord (seen in news footage later) that was used to plug the sign in, was brand spanking new. Sitting out in the sun would have taken the bends out of it, that is how I know it was brand new. I can only guess, that the news crew suggested he plug it in.

The Texas Department of Transportation is responsible for examining conditions, such as deer crossings, and then determining what is necessary to properly warn the general public travelling that road way. how about a plane over a road way ? In a case like this, there would most assuredly be flashing lights, several of them, in both directions, and if necessary, real stop signs.

The owner of the airport, a total moron and idiot, has put the public at un-necessary risk.

As a matter of fact, I have called the local prosecutor, because under Texas Law, an individuals reckless actions (spray painting a stop sign on the road and expecting that to be enough) that puts the public at un-necessary risk of life and physical harm, is guilty of reckless endangerment. A felony. Yeah, I want to see him in jail for his actions.

I have also contacted my state representative, because if the laws do not exist, to prevent this sort of idiot from doing what he did, we need a new law. To protect us from idiots.

Another thought. if that had been my family in that car, I think I would have probably gone to jail, because I would have beaten the airport owner senseless after the comments he made to the media.

Final thought, I hear people all the time talking about government regulations, how bad they are, blah blah blah. There are some times when regulations are necessary, and this is one of them. If the people that always complain about regulations want to, then let us get rid of "all" the regulations and laws, and then I will go beat this man's brains out, beat him to death, and then no more problem with the airport.

Sorry for the rant but like I said, this is very personal for me. My grandkids live around there.