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  1. #1
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    Plane Crash Stories

    Anyone got a good plane crash story?

    Crashed one yourself? Made an E-landing? Pillaged a wreck, seen a near miss, had a hard hit?

    Here's one -

    I saw this article last spring:

    https://www.peninsuladailynews.com/n...ircraft-crash/

    Click image for larger version. 

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    OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK — The Federal Aviation Administration
    and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating a plane that crashed into
    the side of Klahhane Ridge in the Olympic Mountains on Wednesday, officials said Thursday.

    ...


    ... and I thought, "no shit, I ski tour there once in a while."

    A couple weeks later I went up there with a friend to get a glimpse of the crashed plane and maybe ski some corn. The weather cooperated, dawning blue and gold, with some wisps of cloud hanging in the high basins. We hiked the summer trail, which was melted out for the first few hundred feet on its broad south-facing slope, then transitioned to skis and skinned to the ridgeline. We made note of the increased air traffic in the region as we shooed away a pair of military jets circling the northeast quadrant of the range.



    As we gained the saddle, the sun was shining brightly and we could see the airplane glinting in the basin. It was facing up the slope and in the position depicted in the news clip. Seeking sun-softened aspects we decided to wrap west and ski down past the wreck, first ascending a hundred yards of wind-drifted ridgeline peppered with sparse Krummholz firs.

    We found a little nook in the trees to rip skins and take a short snack break. I heard the sound of another jet across the basin to the north, but I couldn't make it out in the clouds. It sounded different, but I assumed it was just due to the distance and terrain.

    We clicked into skis and stepped to the edge of the slope. "Hey, wasn't the crash like right there?" my friend asked.

    "Uh, yeah, it was," I said. "Look at the tracks!"




    The airplane had come loose in the morning sun and slid down the mountain while we were on the ridge! It was out of sight somewhere below. I mistook the noise of aluminum-on-snow for faraway jet engines.

    We skied the slope...





    ... and looked over to see the airplane stuck nose-first in the snow, having just sent a little cliff by its lonesome.







    We climbed past the wreck, giving it a wide berth in case it shifted again, and climbed east along the ridge to ski the main couloir.





    The "new crash" looked cool from afar, with the length of the slide more apparent.






    The snow in the couloirs was pretty good and we skied down to the bottom of the basin.


    Note the re-wrecked plane in the upper left:








    We mused about plane crashes while skinning up past the wreck and agreed to call the place "Airplane Bowl".

    What's your story?
    Last edited by Norseman; 11-05-2019 at 04:00 PM.

  2. #2
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    No story thank goodness but crazy how good condition that plane looks to be in after crashing, sliding and crashing again.

  3. #3
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    My brother in law was killed in a mid air collision between two Tornado GR1s just days into the build up to Desert Storm/Gulf War. Flying at low level over the North Sea while developing methods to use the Tornado's cold war runway denial munitions against tank formations.

    His body was never recovered. From floating debris it was determined that neither of his plane's ejector seats had been fired.



    He and my sister had got married 5 months earlier.
    Quote Originally Posted by Downbound Train View Post
    And there will come a day when our ancestors look back...........

  4. #4
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    This happened a few miles from my house when I was a kid, in the forest/open space my family would go on walks, bike rides, and such
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LOT_Po...es_Flight_5055

    I heard and read some gnarly stories about the immediate aftermath, looting, etc. Probably at least partly made up, but also likely not 100% made up...
    Still have plane crash nightmares occasionally, which was particularly not awesome when I traveled for work nearly every week

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  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by goldenboy View Post
    I survived a heli crash, does that count?
    Uh yes.

  7. #7
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    There are a few reasons why this thread isn't a great idea (on the lines of pnwbrit's example). Just throwing it out there that plane crashes aren't typically a fortuitous event.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by JimmyCarter View Post
    There are a few reasons why this thread isn't a great idea (on the lines of pnwbrit's example). Just throwing it out there that plane crashes aren't typically a fortuitous event.
    Well sure. If this is just going to be unhappy darkness then I'll nuke.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Norseman View Post
    Well sure. If this is just going to be unhappy darkness then I'll nuke.
    Not for my example please.
    Quote Originally Posted by Downbound Train View Post
    And there will come a day when our ancestors look back...........

  10. #10
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    after a few years of browsing TGR one might think, "every possible kind of TR has been done"... and then something like this pops up. ya know, just a little ski tour with some plane sledding thrown in. sweet pics!

  11. #11
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    My wife and (at the time, 6 month old) daughter made it through a commercial plane crash of sorts, more of a terrible landing than a crash. Jetblue flight returning to Sacramento and the pilot landed with a loud thud/bang. Plane came to a very rapid stop. At first the flight attendants were calm and collected trying to figure out what happened, and that was quickly followed with 'FIRE, FIRE, GET OUT! GET OUT! GET OUT!' Doors opened, slides inflated, and a lot of black smoke was rolling up from underneath the plane

    Wife was on the window seat, daughter in the carseat in the middle and Mother in law on the aisle. Mama bear instincts kicked in as she unbuckled the carseat and shoved it into MIL's hands and shouted GO! A bit of chaos later and everyone was down the emergency slides, mostly safe and sound. Some friction burns from the steep rubber slides.

    Apparently the copilot accidentally set the brakes before landing the airbus 320. Oopsie.

    http://avherald.com/h?article=43023647/0001
    I've concluded that DJSapp was never DJSapp, and Not DJSapp is also not DJSapp, so that means he's telling the truth now and he was lying before.

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Norseman View Post
    Well sure. If this is just going to be unhappy darkness then I'll nuke.
    Quote Originally Posted by PNWbrit View Post
    Not for my example please.
    I'm sure its fine, I just remembered a somewhat recent tragedy thread so put it out there #TGRasasafespace

    Didn't mean to detract from what's otherwise a really cool story.

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by PNWbrit View Post
    My brother in law was killed in a mid air collision between two Tornado GR1s just days into the build up to Desert Storm/Gulf War. Flying at low level over the North Sea while developing methods to use the Tornado's cold war runway denial munitions against tank formations.

    His body was never recovered. From floating debris it was determined that neither of his plane's ejector seats had been fired.



    He and my sister had got married 5 months earlier.
    Harsh man. Sorry for your sister.

    I saw a twin baron crash land on the saddle of the puma lift at El Colorado back In 1985 ish. I screwed around in the cockpit college rest of the winter.


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  14. #14
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    He wasn't even supposed to be flying that day.

    Someone on Squadron called in sick and he jumped at air time rather than stay home and mow the lawn.
    Quote Originally Posted by Downbound Train View Post
    And there will come a day when our ancestors look back...........

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by PNWbrit View Post
    He wasn't even supposed to be flying that day.

    Someone on Squadron called in sick and he jumped at air time rather than stay home and mow the lawn.
    Brutal. Mine is an RAF family.

    When I first moved to St. Louis I looked up once and saw a Tornado. It was incredible, low level, hard bank. I said wtf? Then I found out there was an air show and it was practicing. Great plane.


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  16. #16
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    I went with her to airfield a few days after to help collect his locker contents and pick up his car.

    She was serving RAF at the time and the day was spent with the Squadron and other spouses.

    Got to sit in front seat of one of the GR1s.

    Crazy to think that back then they were loading flight plans by BASF tape cassettes.

    And yep bad ass plane.

    Went to a post gulf war event and one of the Squadron told me about flying through the wadis at wing scraping level firing chaff and counter measures at anti aircraft.

    Go RAF.
    Quote Originally Posted by Downbound Train View Post
    And there will come a day when our ancestors look back...........

  17. #17
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    Craig Button broke formation during an Air Force training mission with live bombs, flew from AZ to CO, and crashed into Gold Dust Peak, near Eagle. Inspired the movie Broken Arrow.

    I've never been up there but its on the list to check out.

    (Vail Daily down?)
    https://www.vaildaily.com/news/color...one-knows-why/
    https://www.vaildaily.com/news/color...997s%E2%88%91/

  18. #18
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    One of my good friends and his fiancé survived a plane crash. Sight seeing flight out of the Truckee Tahoe Airport. Just them two and a retired pilot in a small single prop. Didn’t have enough lift coming out of the airport, was not able to make it over the mountains in front of him and put the plane down in a meadow. Not sure exactly where, but by my friends account it was pretty miraculous they didn’t hit any trees in that area of the world. All three unscathed.


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  19. #19
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    My Mom was in a old piper cub float plane that stalled about 500ft over Okanagan Lake. Crashed pretty much straight down from there into the water. Pilot got out but she was unconscious (and broke almost every bone in her face among many others) and was trapped under the water for 5 minutes. My (now) step dad was in a boat and saw it happen, he managed to dive down and pull her out from about 20ft. She was in a coma for almost 2 months and didn't remember me or my brother when she woke up. I was about 5 at the time. I am glad I wasn't any older. This was around 1985.

    She had major nerve damage, seizures, and "suicide pain" in her face until about 5 years ago when they figured out what was triggering it. One tough lady, she is now almost 70 and water skis every morning and runs the mens and ladies day at our local ski school.
    www.skevikskis.com Check em out!

  20. #20
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    My dick, ex father in law put his Bonanza down in a corn field, and then again with only one wheel down.

    Walked away both times, damn shame.

    I also worked with a guy who claimed to be in that big, Iowa L10-11 cartwheel. I thought he was full is shit, but he did have a lazy eye.


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  21. #21
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    el hefe that is a crazy story. Props to your Mom for dealing with that she sounds tough as nails.

  22. #22
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    This pic has haunted me almost every time I look at it. I was in line at LAX to get on this very plane to go to San Diego. I was with a guy I was working with and while we were in line to get our tickets I said, "I don't want to go to San Diego today." He didn't give a shit. We were driving into Hollywood when it came over the radio. We were in shock for days.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    I crashed a paraplane when I ran out of gas and did a couple endos on a dry lake bed because I had the wind on my six.

  23. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by splat View Post
    This pic has haunted me almost every time I look at it. I was in line at LAX to get on this very plane to go to San Diego. I was with a guy I was working with and while we were in line to get our tickets I said, "I don't want to go to San Diego today." He didn't give a shit. We were driving into Hollywood when it came over the radio. We were in shock for days.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    I crashed a paraplane when I ran out of gas and did a couple endos on a dry lake bed because I had the wind on my six.
    Crash site is a few blocks from my wife’s family home. It’s now a park.

    Coincidentally I’m flying outta LAX to SAN tomorrow....😐

  24. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by splat View Post
    This pic has haunted me almost every time I look at it. I was in line at LAX to get on this very plane to go to San Diego. I was with a guy I was working with and while we were in line to get our tickets I said, "I don't want to go to San Diego today." He didn't give a shit. We were driving into Hollywood when it came over the radio. We were in shock for days.
    .
    that is also a crazy story!

  25. #25
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    A friend of ours was in a plane crash where he was the pilot. Short story, ended up passing out on the climb out from carbon monoxide in the cockpit but had set the autopilot. Plane flew for a couple hundred miles and crash landed itself in a field. He was banged up but survived.

    Story here, lucky man.

    https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/...ts/there-i-was

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