A plane that made an emergency landing on East Saile Drive on Thursday afternoon was in a mishap on the runway of the Genesee County Airport moments before and caused possibly as much as $20,000 damage, according to County Highway Superintendent Tim Hens.
Hens does not yet have actual estimates to fix the damage yet, but he's figuring it will be at least $15,000 and possibly as much as $20,000.
The county will seek reimbursement from the pilot's insurance carrier, Hens said.
The name of the pilot is not yet available, but Hens said he is apparently inexperienced and was performing touch-and-go practice at the airport when his plane veered off the runway for some reason.
The plane struck a light, a guidance sign, more lights and another guidance sign. There were very visible wheel marks in the grass along the south side of the runway, to the pilot's left, The marks go for at least 500 feet after the last sign was struck and then the pilot took off again, but he was losing fuel fast from a puncture in one of his tanks.
"It's pure speculation on my part as to why he took off again," Hens said. "It's almost like a hit-and-run or maybe he panicked and pulled up on the throttle, but when you're driving a car and hit something, you don't usually speed up."
The FAA is investigating the accident.
Losing fuel as fast as he was, he was unable to maintain altitude and was forced to find a place to land quickly.
"How he managed to not hit any power lines or the fence and still land on Saile Drive is beyond me," Hens said.
$15K - $20K for some signs
$15K - $20K for some signs and lights? How does that cost break down? A few thousand for the lights and signs themselves, a few thousand to install them, and the rest for bureaucracy, red tape, and lining County coffers?
The airport guidance signs
The airport guidance signs that were wiped out are not like normal road signs. The are specialized lighted signs. Here's a sample of what they look like.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=r…
The signs are about $5,200 each. The pilot wiped out two of them and broke them off at the base. He also took out two runway edge lights and a taxiway light which are about $650 each. The repairs will also require a temporary shut down of the runway which requires its own signage and control. All of this is done at prevailing wages.
We are awaiting estimates from contractors, but my best guess is that repairs will be around $15,000. County won't be lining its pockets.
"The marks go for at least
"The marks go for at least 500 feet after the last sign was struck and then the pilot took off again,"
Again? He'd been airborne prior to taking out the runway markers? That is one sorry piece of airmanship. Sometimes the best option in a pinch may be to go ahead and climb-out to get yourself clear of trouble; though I really hope it's not the case, this is one takeoff roll that suggests impairment. 500' is ample time and space to abort a takeoff in a little airplane, if I'm getting the picture of the incident straight.
Impairment?? Really? That's a
Impairment?? Really? That's a pretty strong accusation based on the limited details we have of this incident. He was probably just lifting off and allowed himself to be blown off the edge of the runway. Are you a pilot? Things happen pretty quick at takeoff speed and with a good crosswind. The ability to make perfect decisions (which has eluded me with only 400 hours) comes with time and practice.
BTW... I think he did a GREAT
BTW... I think he did a GREAT job of getting it safely back down on the ground without further damage or, more importantly, injuring himself or anyone on the ground!
Love the armchair quarterback
Love the armchair quarterback comments from someone who has obviously never even seen runway and taxiway signs and lighting.
"Impairment?? Really? That's
"Impairment?? Really? That's a pretty strong accusation based on the limited details we have of this incident. He was probably just lifting off and allowed himself to be blown off the edge of the runway. Are you a pilot? "
I am a pilot, with about 2000 hours, and instruments. The facts are limited and second hand, but Mr Hens indicates:
"The marks go for at least 500 feet after the last sign was struck and then the pilot took off again,"
That 500' elapsed, after the final impact, before becoming airborne a *second* time, tells me something was beyond out of control in an x-wind here. But I wasn't there, and the FAA will puzzle it out in good time.
"He was probably just lifting
"He was probably just lifting off and allowed himself to be blown off the edge of the runway."
The bottom line I'm trying to convey is that electing to take a damaged aircraft aloft, when you have ample runway ahead of you to throttle-back, stop, and call it a day, seems like more than just a rookie error of inexperience. I hope I'm wrong; I've nothing invested in the race. If you happen to be an acquaintance of our errant pilot, you might tell him the 'blown off the edge of the runway' by a gusting x-wind excuse isn't going to make it with the FAA. Nothing is easier and earlier taught than crabbing into the wind after liftoff, and climbing out true to the runway center-line to altitude. You would have mastered that before you're allowed to solo.