Not sure I crashed....

[sprzout]

Ok, I'm sure you're wondering - how does it happen that someone's not sure they crashed???




This is what's left of my MIG-3.

I was flying today at the field, made a sharp bank to bring it back over the runway and NOT over the pits, when I start hearing a noise that sounds like a lawnmower, and I see foam flying off of my plane. I immediately realized that the canopy/battery cover had come off, so I immediately called out, "LANDING!" and brought it down on the runway in a perfect touchdown.

I then tried to taxi over to the pilot's box, and realized my plane wasn't going ANYWHERE. That's when I noticed that the motor had been completely sheared off of the front of the plane, taking the side of the fuselage with it. People started helping me search, but the motor was lost to the weeds and "the jungle", a mass of trees, swampy marshy area, greenery, etc. Everything else - the ESC, receiver, servos, battery, etc., were all perfectly fine!!!

Our pro 3D pilots just looked and went, "Dang! That was one helluva landing! No motor, and you brought it in perfect!!! How does THAT happen when the thing isn't balanced???"

"Pure, dumb luck, I guess."

It was the coolest "death" of a foam plane I've seen yet - one of the other guys at the field actually had his Trojan behind me a ways, and it looked for all the world like he'd shot me down, with how it "exploded" in foam pieces. My dad asked if I was upset, and I just said, "Heck no! That was an AWESOME...shoot, do I call it a crash??? I didn't crash land it, but I don't know where the canopy and motor went; they crashed somewhere on the hill!!!"

 

[SlingShot]

You crash landed. Quite well by the sound of it and not due to pilot error.

I ran "out of air" doing consecutive loops at Flite Fest West and "accidentally landed" as I called it. Minor damage but logged as a crash.

 

[earthsciteach]

That is called an emergency landing. Well done, sir!

 

[PsyBorg]

The fact the motor ejected is probably what saved the bird and allowed you to get it on the ground in a semi controlled manor. If it had remained connected and you powered up it would have been pulled way off course and crashed hard. Its amazing how many strange things that can occur in our hobby. At least this one turned out reasonably well. Would have loved to see cock pit dvr from the chase plane though. THAT would have put the icing on the cake for sure.

 

[Tench745]

I once read an opinion piece by some professional test pilot who contended that there was no such thing as a crash-landing. You either crash or you land. If you fly it to the ground and deliberately put it down somewhere, you land it. If the plane puts itself on the ground, it is a crash. You sir, LANDED a severely crippled warbird. Congrats.

 

[Userofmuchtape&glue]

Haha LOL love it! Had that happen 2 mins into the maiden of my big Extra and again with the pitts.

 

[sprzout]

The fact the motor ejected is probably what saved the bird and allowed you to get it on the ground in a semi controlled manor. If it had remained connected and you powered up it would have been pulled way off course and crashed hard. Its amazing how many strange things that can occur in our hobby. At least this one turned out reasonably well. Would have loved to see cock pit dvr from the chase plane though. THAT would have put the icing on the cake for sure.

I'm sure the safety officer might talk to me about it, asking me why it happened - they usually want to know whether it was an inexperienced pilot, what could be done to prevent it from happening again, etc., more just to make sure it doesn't happen coming at the pilot box/pit areas, but with this, most people agreed that it was just a freak thing, and I was well away from anywhere that a person could've gotten injured.

And sadly, mine was the best "crash" of the day - there was a Christensen Eagle that went down, and the fuse tore from the wings, and a glider that, upon landing, the wind came up in a crosswind and the wingtip went into the dirt, spiraling it and breaking the fuselage near the tail. I feel bad when I see that sort of stuff, but it happens...At least I know it happens to other people, besides me!

 

[PsyBorg]

Safety officer: Wha happan?

You: I dunno

Saftey officer: You sure?

You: Plane go dis way motor go dat way I think its a conspiracy. Maybe I hit a drone? Isn't that what every one else blames?

Conversation ends and all is good in the world. Just don't let Xjet hear about it.

 

[sprzout]

Safety officer: Wha happan?

You: I dunno

Saftey officer: You sure?

You: Plane go dis way motor go dat way I think its a conspiracy. Maybe I hit a drone? Isn't that what every one else blames?

Conversation ends and all is good in the world. Just don't let Xjet hear about it.

Blame it on a drone? Won’t work, i’m one of about 5 people at our field who fly drones. 😂

Safety officer will probably just say, “Figured it was one of those freak things; musta looked cool when it happened, and good job with the landing!”

It’s all good, i’m Becoming the creative crazy guy in our club, thinking outside the box to create new planes and using cheap foam to do it.

Besides, if I can get myself together in the next day or two, i’ll have a flying pig to maiden at the field!